Devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.  

Colossians 4:2

Of all the words we can utter, prayer is the most important. With our prayers, we have fellowship with our Lord, we confess our sin, we praise God, we call on our sympathetic High Priest, and we intercede for one another. The Bible gives us lots of guidance on how to pray—Jesus Himself provided us with a beautiful model prayer (Matthew 6:8-15). There are countless “prayer directions” throughout the Old and New Testament, examples and exhortation that provide plenty of fodder for using our words in a holy manner.

Here are just three simple steps that create a fabulous recipe for prayer—simple, yes, but very challenging for even the most mature of believers.

Step 1: BE FAITHFUL. We’re told to pray all the time and in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 12:12). And we’re to be courageously persistent. It’s no shock that God doesn’t always answer our prayers immediately—or the way we want Him to. (And I’m so very grateful for that, aren’t you—how often do we know best in our requests to God?) Praying can seem one-directional—us to God—but praying persistently is what makes it a two-way street. The more fervently and doggedly we pray (think wrestling with God), the more we are affected. It prepares our hearts for the answer God has in store as our spirit is aligned with His will. It’s His will we ultimately want anyway, right?  

Step 2: BE VIGILANT. Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray (Matthew 26:41), and Paul reminds us to keep alert (Colossians 4:2). I don’t know about you, but sometimes my prayers can be listless—or, actually, kind of “listfull”, as it’s easy for me to go through my prayers like I’m checking off a to-do list. Instead, let’s be focused and specific! Instead of praying for “Jane”, let’s pray for Jane’s distinctive situation and needs. And that, sweet friend, requires we ask people how we can specifically be praying for them. (Again, more effort and vigilance, but oh so powerful.)

Step 3: BE THANKFUL. No matter the circumstances of our lives that are directing our cries to the Father, we can give thanks alongside our requests. I think of David’s Psalms, where he complains, rages, begs for rescue, and calls for judgment on his enemies…but his prayers always come back to worshipping God and thanking Him for who He is and all He’s done. This is a great example for us to follow. Gratefulness in our prayers recalls God’s faithfulness in our life, reminding us that His love never fails. Thankfulness also reminds us of His greatness. Seeing a gorgeous sunrise and saying, “Thank You, Lord,” speaks to the fact that He made everything, and He is Sovereign over all our circumstances. 

So, friend, let’s pray without ceasing—make talking to God throughout the day like breathing. Let’s pray with vigilance and specificity. And, in all our prayers (and in all circumstances), let’s take a foundational stance of thankfulness. 

Lord, as we launch into this new year, let us have a renewed focus on prayer—on using our words to connect with You at a deeper level and have our lives become more aligned with Your will.

For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.  

1 John 2:16-17

The world and everything in it are being perfectly sustained by the Creator—every molecule being held together until His determined time (Col 1:17). It is in perfect balance, per His plan. But amid the global cacophony by radical environmentalists of “existential threats”, there is a nugget of truth: the earth is on a slow trajectory of disintegration, and there is coming a day when everything will burn up (2 Peter 3:10). Likewise, worldly culture is not moving in the direction of utopian perfection. Rather, it’s succumbing to greater tyranny, divisiveness, and evil—thanks to the god of this world, Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). Finally, despite all the anti-aging injections, surgeries, and pills, we human beings are also in a state of degeneration (ask anyone over 50, when waking up with a sprained ankle and sneezing your way to a pulled back are really a thing). The mortality rate, according to every statistician ever, is 100%.

Today, fear of death seems to be ubiquitous—thanks to the media’s fear-feeding-frenzy. They love it, as it’s great for ratings. Unfortunately, their efforts are sorely misplaced. For adults ages 18-45 (during the “prime of life”), the #1 cause of death in the U.S. right now is fentanyl overdose. Let that sink in a minute. More adults in this age range die of this savage drug than of anything else—and it’s at a rate nearly twice that of the #2 cause of death, motor vehicle accidents. Just as sad and horrific is that the third leading cause of death in this age group is suicide. (And based on numbers from CDC and other sources, nearly twice as many people are dying from fentanyl in that age range than are dying of reported COVID cases.)* 

No matter the current state of the world, our nation, or your community, death is—and will continue to be—all around us. The question is whether you’re facing death with worldly fear or heavenly anticipation.

But, friend, death has been conquered! Jesus came to earth, fully God and fully Man, to defeat our mortal enemy. Through His death and resurrection, His victory made a way for us to have new life—eternal life with God. This world is not our home—we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 13:14). When we belong to the King, this world and the things of it are not our friend (1 John 5:19; James 4:4; John 15:19). In fact, because the world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31; 1 John 2:16-17), there’s no reason to be hanging onto it for dear life.

And, to the believer: We’re not meant to be building castles for ourselves on this earthly kingdom or joining a radical cause to “save the planet.” We are here as ambassadors of our King—and the eternal kingdom—to bring as many people to “citizenship” with us as possible. 

Life is deadly. But we can live it without fear and trepidation (Psalm 118:6; Matthew 10:26-28). In Christ, we are guarded by peace, whatever this broken world brings (Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:15). Faith in Jesus Christ brings confident hope, which conquers fear (Romans 15:13; Deuteronomy 31:6).  Won’t you choose faith over fear today?

Lord, Your perfect love conquers fear (1 John 4:18) and offers hope. May I spread the Good News of eternal life amid so much bad news in the world.

* https://familiesagainstfentanyl.org; https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fentanyl-overdose-death;https://web.archive.org/web/20211217171809/https://www.foxnews.com/us/fentanyl-overdoses-leading-cause-death-adults

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-5

Enjoy this repost from 2020…and have a very merry and blessed Christmas!

Research from Gallup (Dec., 2019) revealed that although 93% of Americans celebrate Christmas, only 35% of those do so in a “strongly religious” way.^*  But without the Reason for the season, Christmas is just a decorated tree, gifts, and some time off from work. Despite all the carols and twinkly lights, without belief in Jesus, the day is meaningless.

On that first Christmas, the world had not heard from God in about 400 years. People were doing their own thing, and probably just a small percentage of dedicated Jews were clinging to the promises of the prophets for a Messiah. 

But Christmas.

The silence was broken as two heavenly birth announcements were made, one to Zacharias (regarding his son, John the Baptist) and the other to Mary, a young teenager yet to be married. In fact, as the Bible’s New Testament opens, it initiates the fulfillment of 456 Messianic prophecies of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. (Let that fact sink in for a minute. If someone told you a thing would happen to you tomorrow, and it happened, you’d think, “Huh, that person got lucky.” But if that same someone told you 50 things that would happen—and they did—you’d be hard-pressed not to believe the source was sound. But what if that person told you 100 different things that would happen—and they did? What about 200? 300? 456? Who would doubt the veracity of that source? OK, I digress.)

Into that dark world over 2000 years ago burst the Light of the world. He came to be the final sacrificial Lamb—the One who would pay the final price of sin, removing the separation between men and God. He came to save us, justify us—by faith—so we can have peace with God (Romans 5:1). If we believe.

Today, the world is dark. (I can’t say it’s “darker than ever” with perfect certainty, but I can declare that it’s the darkest of my lifetime.) There is tangible fear, divisiveness, unholy self-gratification, and rampant foolishness. 

But Christmas.

We don’t have to wait for a heavenly announcement or a burst of light in the dark sky. It has come—He has come. Jesus. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The greatest Gift has been delivered. If you haven’t already received this amazing, eternity-changing free gift of saving grace, won’t you make 2021 the year? 

Lord, Christmas has been watered down and secularized, losing it’s meaning. I pray that the Scriptural songs of the season and my words (and actions) reflect the Son and turn others to You.

* https://news.gallup.com/poll/272378/americans-celebrating-secular-christmas.aspx

Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:2

Christmas is almost here, and most of us can safely say we are preoccupied with it. Some of us are preparing our homes for family and friends, ensuring every room is clean, organized, and ready for our guests. Others of us have been decorating with vigor, so that each space satisfactorily declares holiday spirit. And many people (me included) are furiously trying to meet deadlines and check off all work boxes, so when those precious days—and people—arrive, we can truly pause and enjoy.

There is so much to be preoccupied with during this season that it’s easy to get trapped in the various black holes, often with associated frustrations that create a simmering of negative emotions in this “joyful” time. I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that there’s an awful lot of crankiness and “me-firstness” out there right now.

But this season truly has One thing (well, Person) to be preoccupied with: Jesus Christ. He is the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place. The gift-buying, giving, and receiving, the delicious treats, and the gathering of loved ones can all be wonderful…but they are still merely earthly things. We are to “set our minds on the things that are above”—maintaining an eternal perspective. What does this mean, exactly? Well, in an everyday sense, this exhorts Christians to walk according to God’s Word and submit to the Holy Spirit—to pursue holiness and be set apart from this world (1 Peter 1:15-16). It means to think differently as well, filling our minds with noble and virtuous thoughts (Philippians 4:8). 

But keeping heaven-focused is especially necessary right now, when it’s so easy to get lost in the stuff of cultural Christmas. We are celebrating the first coming of Jesus—Immanuel, God with us! And whether they acknowledge it or not, much of the world is inadvertently confessing that God sent His Son to earth, taking on human flesh (fully God and fully Man) to bridge the chasm between us that sin created. (I absolutely love this aspect of Christmas—the gospel is being piped through sound systems in almost every store these days!) 

And we must stay focused that the manger is not the end of the story. That precious Baby whom we sing about grew up to take on the penalty we owe, die an excruciating death we deserve, and rise again to forever vanquish death. By accepting this Truth, we are reconciled to God—made righteous in His sight, despite our sin and fallen nature. Because that Baby was born in Bethlehem, we can be born again and made new (John 3:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:23).  

Finally, friend, we must stay preoccupied with things above because Jesus’ birth 2000 years ago was only His first coming—He is coming back. And all the things of this world that seem so important (or stressful, frustrating, and maddening) won’t matter at all. So, if you haven’t yet decided to surrender your life to Jesus, why not accept the Gift of His amazing grace this Christmas?

Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus to reconcile us to You. I pray that people turn their hearts and minds to You this Christmas, changing them forever.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all…

1 Timothy 2:5-6

There are many reasons to love Christmas. For believers, Christmas is the season to celebrate the amazing incarnation of Jesus, God Himself, into the world. The birth of the One upon whom the penalty of sin would be laid. Because of sin, we have been separated from God. But Jesus would live a perfect life—perfection we can in no way attain—and die the death we deserve. Jesus, through His birth as fully man and fully God, His death, and His resurrection, redeemed us (paid our penalty), so we could be reconciled to God.

This is the gospel—the Good News.

Christmas for unbelievers, does not hold the same message. It’s about decorations, gifts, parties, and time off. (I’ll admit, though, I am counting the hours to have some time off from work!) The culture celebrates Christmas without the “Christ” part. If you think about it, it’s so weird. It’s like being a wedding crasher—showing up to a beautiful ceremony of two people you don’t know at all, and then heading over to the reception where you take part in the festivities, food, and fun. You’re going through all the superficial motions, but you aren’t really part of the celebration because you don’t love (or even know) the bride and bridegroom. 

(Come to think of it, Christmas is exactly like this analogy. Christ is the Bridegroom and we, His followers, are His bride. On this earth, we live our lives devoted to Him—and our wedding reception is waiting for us in the not-too-distant future. But this amazing Truth is a digression at the moment…)

My point is this: In celebrating Christmas—in word and action—unbelievers are unwittingly talking and walking the gospel message. Christmas is all about Christ’s first coming, after all. But what’s super cool about all this Christmas cheer-for-all is when the Christmas songs begin. Long-sung carols are belted out in solo car concerts (we all do it). They’re piped through sound systems in big-box stores and business offices and elevators.  

And the gospel is shared. Whether people recognize it or not, those classic Christmas lyrics are pulled right from God’s Word, sharing the Truth of Jesus Christ and why He came…and for whom. My all-time favorite song is “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” written in 1739 by Charles Wesley, and it’s an awesome example of an “inadvertent gospel” message. Here are just some of the words—let’s all sing it loudly and share the Good News.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild;
  God and sinners reconciled.”

Mild He lays His glory by,
  Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth;
  Born to give them second birth.

Adam’s likeness now efface,
  Stamp Thine image in its place:
Final Adam from above,
  Reinstate us in Thy love.

Lord, my prayer is that the songs this Christmas prick the heart of unbelievers to know the Truth and be “reinstated” in Your love.

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:11-12

The holiday season craziness is upon us once again. (According to places like Walmart and Big Lots, it started in September when the first of the Christmas décor was loaded onto the shelves.) But, I’m sure you can agree, the 2021 madness is bit more mad than ever (at least in my lifetime). With the perfect storm of (a) lack of people working, (b) product and food unavailability caused by senseless government regulations, (c) inflation’s ever-rising prices, (d) continued fearmongering of the corporate media, and (e) threats and unreasonable mandates toward the citizens dictated by our own “leaders”—well, Christmas preparations have not been very “merry” at all. For instance, my husband took some items to the post office for me yesterday afternoon. One person was working, and the line wrapped out the door. The passport office was closed indefinitely because there is no one to work there…needless to say, the Christmas spirit was not alive and well among those sending gifts and greetings to loved ones around the county or those planning to travel.

If you step back from everything and look around at our nation and world with a totally objective perspective, you would think this was all a really bad, dystopian movie. And as Christmas nears, with mounting frustrations, divisiveness, and anger swirling around us, you may just want to hide yourself away at home and simply skip Christmas this year.

So, friend, let’s stop looking around—and let’s look up! Let’s stop our own madness by evoking the answer to the exasperated shout of Charlie Brown, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” In fact, as believers, we do know! But maybe that knowledge is getting lost in the swirling craziness of current reality. 

It’s time to recall the gospel according to Linus (well, it’s actually Luke, but go with me here). We have been given “good tidings of great joy”! Linus reminded his friends (and us) that a Savior has come to bring peace—peace with God and the peace of God as we live in this world. Jesus came to live the perfect, righteous life we could not live and die the death we deserve, paying the penalty for our sin so we could be redeemed and reconciled to God. 

He is the perfect Christmas Gift. No need for the supply chain—His love is available for the asking. No worries about high costs—He paid it all and His grace is free. No more fear or anxiety—we have confident hope in our eternal home. He is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). If you are tangled up in the mire, there is a gift you can get today that can put your feet on solid, sane, and sound ground. If you’ve accepted this gift already, stay focused on Him…if you have not, won’t you embrace Jesus right now?

Check out Linus’ gospel message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eff0cqYefYY

God, thank You for sending the gift of Your Son, Jesus to bring peace and hope and deliverance.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the Church.  

Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

At the moment of salvation—when you accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord—you are a new creation. You are transformed, redeemed, justified. At that moment, although we are given a new nature in Christ and the Holy Spirit starts living in us, we must still contend with our earth-bound flesh—our propensity to give in to sin. Until we go to Jesus or He comes for us, we live in a fallen body in a fallen world.

I say all that to say this: As a believer in Jesus (saved and born again), we are free from the penalty of sin and the wrath of God because Jesus paid it all for us. This is amazing grace! But from that point of salvation (whether it was a lightning-bolt moment or a slow realization), we must walk out our spiritual reality—becoming more and more like Jesus (called “sanctification”). This, my friend, is where Christianity gets hard.

See, if you are a believer, you have an awesome, miraculous testimony—a “I once was blind, but now I see” story. It doesn’t matter if you were five years old or 50. And hearing the testimony of others is always awe-inspiring. But this is just the beginning of our walk with Christ! It’s our “sanctification stories” that must be spoken among brothers and sisters! We must share our post-salvation trials, tribulations, and triumphs with one another. This is how we grow to become more and more like Christ (our underlying purpose in this life, per Romans 8:29).

All too often, men and women come to church buttoned up, every hair in place, and veneers of perfection intact…believing that because they’re “Christians” they must have it all together, no problems or challenges. But this isn’t what Jesus told His followers! He promised we’d have trouble in this world (John 16:33)! In order to grow in Christ—deepening our faith and love-in-action—we have to acknowledge that “walking out holiness” is a “Christian Family matter”. We are called to pray for, demonstrate love to, serve, and encourage one another. This is the unity we are meant to have in Christ (Colossians 2:2, 1 John 3:17-18).

But, friend, for this to happen, we can’t be pretenders. We have got to get real.

Our sanctification story—our Christian walk—is not a straight line. We step off path (sometimes in a painful fall), we take our eyes off Jesus on put them on self or others, and sometimes we actually start backtracking a bit. But we’re not alone in this! Other brothers and sisters have been through what we’ve been through! (No, really, they have! You are not the only one to struggle with whatever you’re struggling with!) But how can a brother or sister support you in love if you never reveal the truth about your walk? 

When we get real, we can find encouragement. We can be iron to sharpen one another (Proverbs 27:17). We are strengthened (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) and love is forged. This is the real Christian life.

Lord, You have given us the gift of unity. Allow me to share my walk with others and be an encouragement to those who open up their life to me.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t pause in awe when seeing a butterfly. The variations of color and wing size make each creature uniquely marvelous. But what’s even more amazing, is the metamorphic process by which the butterfly emerges as itself. 

A caterpillar wraps itself in a silk cocoon (chrysalis), during which time its old body is being broken down, dying to itself. An entirely new body is formed—a process called holometabolism. That’s not where it ends though! The butterfly has to break out of the protective shell it created, escaping the walls that would eventually kill it. But it is this part of the transformation that strengthens its wings, so when freed, it can boldly take flight.

Friend, this is our story in Christ! At the moment of surrender to Jesus—salvation—we are made new creatures! By grace through faith, our spiritual self goes from worm to butterfly. The problem, however, is that we are still in our old body. Our physical holometabolism has yet to happen. We are spiritually redeemed, but until we see Jesus face to face, we are cocooned in this earthly, sinful body living in a fallen, broken world. This, as the Apostle Paul writes often, creates a constant battle between new and old man—between flesh and spirit. 

But just like the butterfly strengthens its new body as it works to be completely free of its cocoon, we can—must—strengthen our spiritual self as we walk through this world. We must “work out our salvation” (Philippians 2:12) by daily taking off the former “wormy” exterior and putting on the beautiful colors of Christlikeness. Although it won’t be complete on this earth, this external transformation can be quite remarkable and awe-inspiring. 

So, how does this external process of becoming more like Christ happen for believers? We must be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), setting our minds on the things above (Colossians 3:2). What is the source for this? God’s Word! We become like Jesus by knowing Him and His character. And we get to know Him through His Word—the Bible. 

I imagine that once the caterpillar has been changed into a butterfly, with brilliantly colored wings designed to soar, its sole preoccupation is to tear down its constraining cocoon. Likewise, we have to be preoccupied with Christ: fixing our eyes on him; tearing down and starving out that which is sinful (Colossians 3:5-8); and building up that which is True and Beautiful (Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:8). 

Friend, becoming a Christian does transform us spiritually from worm to butterfly. But we will live a cocooned life until our body is glorified. Until that time, as we daily remove the layers of what keeps us trapped, we can reveal our colors to a dark world, demonstrating what we were truly all meant to be.

Lord, I am a new creation in You. Help me walk out that spiritual reality as I make my way Home through this world.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:47-50

We all sort things. Every day. At the grocery store, we sort through the tomato bin, choosing the good tomatoes from the squishy and bruised ones. For us beach people, we sort through the myriad shells in the sand, seeking those treasures beautiful to our eyes. And most of us, every single day, sort through tens (or hundreds) of emails, pressing “delete” on many, moving some into folders for a later read, or pausing whatever we’re doing to take in those that need to take precedence. 

But, friend, did you know that there will come a day when we will be the ones being sorted? The Bible—in fact, Jesus Himself—not only talks about the separation of those who reject God from those who accept Him, but also about a sorting that will take place among the Church.

Not all who are churchgoers or claim to be Christians are. That’s a harsh thing to say out loud (well, to write out loud). For example, the “dragnet” in Matthew 13 is the Church—the sea is the world. Within the Church, there are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15-23)…and, today, there are an awful lot of wolves in wolf’s clothing being accepted in churches around the world. Sadly, these false teachers (heretics and apostates) are misleading the masses, often pulling them away from the Truth of God’s Word. 

This was true in the first century Church, when the Apostle Paul consistently warned believers of heretics and errorists, pushing worldly philosophies, legalism, mysticism, and asceticism (see Colossians 2). And these false teaching are alive and well in Christian churches today. So, how do we ensure we’ll be sorted into the “good fish containers”?

Regardless of what church denomination you attend (and as believers we are called to not give up meeting together—Hebrews 10:25), you must stand firm on God’s Truth. Followers of Jesus Christ must stay rooted in the Bible, being nourished only by the vine (Jesus). We must surrender ourselves to Him and be filled (controlled by) the Holy Spirit. We are complete in Christ (Col 2:10). It’s not “Jesus and” or “Jesus but”—it’s just Jesus. 

A sorting is coming. Don’t get caught up with the smelly, rotten fish.

Lord, may I stay rooted in You and You alone, not being deceived by the wolves in the world—and in the Church.

Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

Colossians 4:14-15

Last year (and oh, what a year it was) the Fall brought really big changes for the Smith family. Our older son had just gotten married in July and lived a couple hours away (still in Virginia like us). Then, our younger son moved to North Carolina in October. So, before my husband and I packed up and relocated to Florida, we decided to have an early Thanksgiving—we called it “Smithsgiving”—since we would be separated for the actual holiday. It was wonderful.

I say all that because this year (which also brought lots of changes, shocking) we will not be with any family. Instead, we’ll celebrate a “Friendsgiving,” with our newfound community here in Florida. I only became acquainted with this term a few years ago, when people I knew said they were having Thanksgiving with friends in lieu of family (for a variety of reasons). Isn’t this awesome? Taking a holiday that has the potential to bring some negative emotions and turning it into a celebration of gratefulness for “created family”—it’s definitely worthy of its own moniker.

As the Apostle Paul wraps up his encouraging letter to the Colossians, he sends out lots of “greetings”—his own and from Luke and Demas—to their brothers and sisters in Christ, both in Colossae and in nearby Laodicea. These greetings tie a bow on one of his letter themes: that believers are to have unity—and community—with one another. Through our Christian love, we are strengthened in our faith and, though this love, we also demonstrate our faith to unbelievers. 

Paul is reminding us, through his greetings to groups of people he hasn’t even met before, that we’re to be intentional about forging our unity. Through Jesus Christ, we are family. And our respective church communities are a great place to start in creating believer-family circles. As God’s Word exhorts, we are to rejoice for each other and mourn with one another (Romans 12:15). We’re to not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25), and we’re to sharpen each other’s faith (Proverbs 27:17). This is what families of Christians do.

So, whether or not you have parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. with whom you visit regularly and celebrate holidays, we are called to create family among other believers. Have you? Maybe you can start this coming Thanksgiving by inviting some friends to join your table, creating some grateful unity. Better yet, find someone at church who may not have any circle to join this holiday. Pouring out your Christian love in this way is sure to fill you up.

Heavenly Father, thank You for creating unity among believers. Thank you that, through Christ, we all have a family with whom we can celebrate, mourn, and grow.