I will exalt You, my God, the King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation will praise Your works to another, And will declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness.

~Psalm 145:1-6

In my church, we have this thing we do whenever we gather in small groups, whether huddling before Sunday serving, at the start of disciple group gathering, or even when two or three are gathered for almost any reason. A simple request is made of one another: Let’s hear some wins. For context, a “win” is wherever you have seen the Lord work in your life. This could entail an invitation to church given to a shoe salesperson—and accepted. It could be the experience of unreasonable peace through a very challenging workday. Or it may be a step of obedience taken in following after Jesus.

It appears obvious that in thinking back over the past days or week, we’d all have 400 ways in which the Lord showed Himself awesome to us…so sharing a win seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Yet, I’ve noticed that when the question is asked in these gatherings of the saints, crickets fill the air instead of glorious praises. All too often, I even rack my own brain in search of something to share. Where, I ask myself, did I see God show up? 

Beloved, for every follower of Jesus, this should not be something to grasp for! Every breath is an awesome gift of God. The mounting glow of the morning sky at sunrise, the belly laughter of a child, the food satisfying our belly, the sincere eye-to-eye welcoming of another that says, “I see you and love you.” The joy of reading the very Words of God, praying with friends, sharing burdens with a brother or sister to shed light on a darkness of the soul. All these reflect the Lord’s hand in our life, glorifying His greatness. The key, sweet friend, is to be intentional—look for, acknowledge, be awed.

King David was particularly good at sharing wins—recognizing and declaring the awesomeness of God. So, his Psalms are a fantastic place to go when we’re struggling to see the Lord’s mighty hand in our life. (I realize this seems like an odd thing to say to believers…but, let’s be honest, some days we get up and go, go, go just to fall into bed at night with perhaps some faint prayer of thanks or a last-minute supplication for a family member or friend.) Psalm 145, for example, is a wonderful go-to for inspiring the exaltation of the Lord. As the great John MacArthur (who now glories in the very presence of Jesus) said of this poem of praise: “Here, the king of Israel extols and celebrates the King of Eternity for who His is, what He has done, and what He has promised.” There is a beautiful flow that starts and ends with a commitment to praise God. And in between, the Psalm moves from God’s awesome greatness to His great grace to His unfailing faithfulness to His unblemished righteousness.

So, let’s encourage one another, as long as it is called today, to intentionally look for God’s greatness, grace, faithfulness, and righteousness. In the big things and small details. Because it all is miraculous, and it’s meant to glorify the Lord—they’re all wins. Then, do tell.

Lord, may I never cease to be in awe of You—Your steadfast faithfulness, the gift of salvation through Jesus, my ability to know you through Your Word. May I daily look for—and tell of—every win.

Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel even more. For this is the will of God, your sanctification.

~1 Thessalonians 4:1; 3a

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, there was a time—whether a lightning-bolt instance or a gradual unveiling—when you proclaimed Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Once surrendered, you were justified. God sees you as holy and perfect because your life is hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3). And, by definition of being a follower, you began following after Him with a desire to become more and more like Him. I mean, we were dead in our sins! But God, in His great love, kindness, and mercy, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10)!

It’s in response to this rescue out of darkness into marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), that we pursue obedience and holiness. Hear me on this: We don’t “do” to earn a right relationship with God. We think, say, and do righteously because we’re already in right relationship with Him. We do this until we’re face to face with our Lord…this is called “sanctification”, which literally means being set apart from sin to holiness. And it is the will of God (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

And friend, whether you were saved by grace through faith yesterday or five decades ago, this process of setting ourselves apart is hard. Shoot, even the Apostle Paul—GOAT Christian—struggled with this! He didn’t do the things he wanted to and did the very thing he hated (Romans 7:15). But I love Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians in this: Wherever we are on this journey, we’re to “excel even more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1; 3a). Beloved, by the Holy Spirit, we’re being transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). He started this work in us, and He will complete it (Philippians 1:6)! 

Thankfully, there’s no guessing needing! God’s Word is chock full of direction, encouragement, and warnings for us as we walk this walk. Here are just a few (on the positive side), but I urge you to search the Scriptures for yourself in this. (Hint: Because Jesus is in written into each book of the Bible, you’ll find instructions wherever you look.)

• Walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh (Galatians 5:16-25).
• Love your brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 4:19-20).
• Do everything without complaining (Philippians 2:14-16).
• Surround yourself with other believers (Psalm 1; Proverbs 13:20).
• In everything you do, glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17).

Finally, pray!! My sweet friend, Jerri, boiled this sanctification journey down to a simple daily plea: “Lord, change me.” So, let’s join together in this! Study the Word and let it transform you. Abide in Christ. And pray fervently that the Holy Spirit living in you will empower you to become more and more like Jesus. (Or, as John the Baptist so eloquently put it: “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). Wherever you are, take your next step to follow Jesus…and excel even more.

Lord, I want to be more and more like You. Change me. 

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

~Hebrews 13:6

I’ve written a couple times about lessons from my rescue dog (see here and here). Caroline still follows me around the house—for the most part. But if she isn’t under my feet at my work desk, or lying by the couch when I’m there, she’s in our room snuggled under our bed. (We call it “Caroline’s Clubhouse”.)

In addition to her thankfulness and joy in the rescue (lesson 1) and her desire to be close to her rescuer (lesson 2), there’s another spiritual-life reflection that struck me recently. See, when a storm is brewing and thunder rolls, my little dog starts shaking like a leaf. Nothing can calm her. Then as the rain dumps and the thunder and lightning are in full swing, she is an inconsolable mess. I may be humanizing her too much here, but my rationale is that her life on the street so traumatized her that when storms came, she had nowhere and no one to run. She had to rely on herself to find a place to hide and wait out the storm in fear. 

I try to console her, hold her, even crawl under the bed to calm her…but she just doesn’t understand that she is safe with us, protected from what is scaring her. Her life is not what it used to be. She has been rescued and is no longer fending for herself in a dangerous world. She has a safe haven with us. Not that she won’t ever get hurt, of course. Accidents happen, like getting injured by her larger dog-sister while playing. Or Caroline still makes self-harming choices, like diving out an open window through the screen to go bark at the neighbor’s dog. Old “ghetto” habits from her past life still pop up, but she’s getting better through the years. (For instance, on our walks she no longer jumps up on neighbor’s trashcans to knock them over in search of food.) 

But when it comes to her fear and trepidation when storms come, her fears are completely unwarranted. She has been rescued, no longer needing to seek out self-protection—just like she doesn’t have to worry about how and where to find her next meal. We are for her, we will protect her, and we want only her best—even when she doesn’t understand what’s going on. (Because, well, she’s a dog.)

Hopefully, spiritual lightbulbs are going off for you like they did for me. As believers in Christ Jesus, we have no need to fear! We have been rescued! The Lord is Sovereign and Good—our best is always and only His will. Storms will come in our life—Jesus promised it (John 16:33). But we never have to fear them. He also assured us that He’ll always be with us (Matthew 28:20), never leaving or forsaking us (Deuteronomy 31:6). The Lord is our Anchor (Hebrews 6:17-20) and our Strong Tower (Psalm 61:1-3), whether our storms are a result of this fallen world, other people, our soul’s enemy (Satan), our own sinfulness…or even previous ghetto—or pigsty—behavior.

Beloved, we do not have to live like we used to, believing we need to figure it all out on our own. Whether your go-to response to fear is taking tighter control, drowning or numbing it, or lashing out to hurt-before-being-hurt, you can give your fear to the Lord. He’s got you. And me. So, when we hear the proverbial thunder roll, let’s stand in faithful confidence that there is no fear in the perfect love of Christ in us (1 John 4:13-18). 

Lord, when I am afraid, I will trust in You, knowing You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. I can fear not, because You are always with me.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 

~Ephesians 4:14 (NLT)

Beloved, I have an urgent exhortation: Read your paper Bible—I mean the “book” version. For those of you under age 30, what I mean is that solid mass of collected papers with words printed in ink, having either a soft or hard cover. These iterations of the Bible have been continually printed for the public since about 1450 (not readily available in all countries, but for us—for now—Bibles are easily accessible at present). So, if you don’t have one (or more) in your possession, get one in a solid translation. 

And know your Bible. See, since this God-inspired Word was recorded, there have been those twisting its meaning, tricking and outright lying about what God says. (This effort, by the way, stems from the very first lie of the father of lies, Satan, to the very first people in the Garden of Eden.) I could delve into all the places in the Bible—especially in the New Testament—where we’re warned against false teachers and various anti-Christs whose sole purpose is keeping people in the darkness, pulling them back into their previous darkness, or making those who are in the light ineffective for the Lord and His kingdom. Please do that research! But here, my warning is about what we—in 2025—are facing to those same malevolent ends: AI lies.

Recently, a sweet sister of mine was pining for some Billy Graham inspiration, so she searched online and started listening to Billy’s sweet voice (likely as she gardened). This mat-carrier of mine is a very mature believer and knows her Word. So, as this teaching continued, she knew something was amiss—it looked like Billy, sounded like Billy, but this was NOT a Billy Graham message. The message was twisted. It was an Artificial Intelligence (AI) creation. I know we’ve all considered the negative repercussions of AI (socially, politically, culturally, career-wise, etc.)…but to consider this tool in the hands of the lying enemy of God against God’s image-bearers, well, that’s just terrifying. In fact, I’m not going to play out that vision here at all. Instead, as you personally ruminate on the implications, my plea to you once again is to know God’s Word from the literal pages of Scripture. I get it, we’ve all become comfortable with the convenience our phones and tablets, but even online Bibles can be edited, twisted, added to, and redacted.

When we go online, we have to be sure the sites we visit are trusted sources—not just YouTube feeds. There are plenty of false Christian teachers around (and even falsehood-filled denominations), so that battle is already constant. But now, even our favorite solid teachers (Piper and MacArthur are two of my go-to’s) can be replicated by AI—in audio and video formats—to purposefully mislead believers and keep Truth-seekers from hearing the true Truth.

Sweet friend, store up God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11), it is the very breath of God for our training and righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), every word proven true (Proverbs 30:5). The Bible is a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Psalm 119:105)—it transforms us by renewing our mind (Romans 12:2). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)—and as teachers and technology come and go, the Word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). Read it, learn it, love it. God’s Word will keep you anchored in Truth, so AI lies will not trick you and toss you about.

Lord, thank You for Your precious Word! May believers everywhere turn to the literal pages of the Bible to know You and become more like You through Holy Spirit revelation.

And astonishment seized them all and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.” 

~Luke 5:26

In Luke 5:19-26 (as well as in Matthew 9:1-8 and Mark 2:1-12), the Bible details a single event that could be studied for weeks—it’s profoundly rich in truth, conviction, and calls-to-action. It’s the account of Jesus teaching and healing in an overcrowded home. And when some guys brought their paralyzed friend to be healed, they couldn’t get to Jesus. Not being deterred, they climbed up onto the roof, tore it off, and lowered their buddy into the middle of the crowd. Jesus saw the faith of these guys and proclaimed that the paralyzed man’s sins were forgiven. Well, this made the Pharisees who were there pretty ticked, and in their thoughts they called Him blasphemous. Of course, Jesus knew what they were thinking and responded, “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up and pick up your stretcher, and go home.” (Luke 5: 24) And so that’s what the paralyzed-no-more guy did.

Again, there’s so much here to meditate on—but here are just a few aspects:

• Do you believe that Jesus can—and will—forgive your sin, forever freeing you from condemnation (Romans 8:1)?
• Are you doubtful of the Lord’s Sovereignty (total authority) and what He can do in your life?
• Would you tear off a proverbial roof to get a friend to Jesus?
• Do you have your own mat-carriers to take you to the feet of Jesus when you’re paralyzed by some sin or overwhelming situation?

But what I really want to focus on here is the last verse in Luke’s account, which records the response of the crowd that day—and something that the Lord has been hammering me about lately: “And astonishment seized them all and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.” There’s a linear progression that we can learn from and apply to our lives each and every day.

First, the crowd saw what Jesus did, and they were astonished—that is, they were amazed and in awe of His person and power. So, the question here is…are we? From the sun rising over the horizon and the very breath in our lungs, to the mind-blowing miracles that make the angels look with wonder (like salvation itself)…do we perceive it all with the deserved astonishment? Without the hand of Jesus, literally every atom would fall apart (Colossians 1:16-17). 

The second thing the crowd did is appropriately respond to this astonishment: They glorified God! Friend, with every breath we should be glorifying God—not just because of His unceasing miracles, but also because of who He is. And, complementary to glorifying God for what He does, everything we say and do should be to and for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 115:1; Colossians 3:17, 23; 1 Corinthians 6:20). 

What next? They were filled with fear—or reverence. Once God’s greatness is recognized and glorified, a healthy fear should settle in. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom-living. It’s acknowledging His power over life and death, and then acting accordingly (Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 8:13; Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Matthew 10:28…and there is so much more). 

Finally (this so beautiful—and convicting), they testified to the remarkable things they saw. The astonishment, glory, and fear of the Lord was so immense that they couldn’t contain themselves. They had to share the news! They didn’t need to understand the theology behind it, and it wasn’t about making a defense to critics…they just told of what they experienced. 

So, the multipart question for me and you is this: Do we see—really see—the big and small daily miracles of God? In that seeing, do we thank Him and give Him all the glory? Do we then recognize His vastness and Sovereignty with appropriate fear? And once all that has settled into our mind, heart, and soul, is the Truth of it beyond containment, such that we have to tell others what we’ve seen? Let’s learn from this group of Jesus-followers and do the same.

Lord, You are Sovereign, Holy, Awesome. May I always be in awe and respond by glorifying You and sharing the Good News with others.

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

~Philippians 4:12-13

Contentment. It’s a tough nut to crack in the abundance culture of the United States. Although we can all agree that grocery prices are (still) high and the general cost of living seems relatively challenging, Americans are still among the wealthiest people on the planet. In fact, statistics show that if your household income is more than $35,000 per year, you’re in the top 1% of global income earners. But it’s not just money, is it? Depending on your particular age group or even geographical location, the “contentment standard” could be tied to acquiring a coveted brand of something (clothes, gear, vehicle), achieving a certain Insta-filter look (think large lips, no lines, or shiny face), or attaining a particular number of social media followers.

Maybe your “if only” has nothing at all to do with stuff. It’s a better job (not your current one, which you prayed incessantly for before you got it). It’s a healing for you or your child, friend, or spouse. It’s the need for relief from that relentless pain you’ve had for years. It’s that prodigal who you’re watching wallow in the pigsty. Yes, you would finally be content if and when…

Oh, but then there is the Apostle Paul telling it like it is. At one time he was a top dog in the world—Ivy League educated, a top attorney, on the political rise, in the in crowd. But after Jesus got ahold of him, Paul’s life changed markedly. Just from what we learn in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33, Paul experienced the following as he journeyed to share the gospel with the world: numerous imprisonments, so many beatings that he stopped counting, 39 lashes five times, beaten with rods five times, stoned (some say to death), shipwrecked three times—and that’s just the short list of his sufferings. 

Yet Paul is content. More than that, he consistently rejoices in and through it all. 

See, Paul knew a secret. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit saw to it that Paul shared it with us as he wrote his letter to the church at Philippi—which he wrote while in prison! (Actually, Paul hammers contentment and joy in the Lord in all his writings, but we’ll focus in on Philippians for now.) Jesus changed Paul’s life—and Paul’s sole purpose was to see everyone else’s life transformed from darkness to light like his. He loved the Lord and, as a result, loved others to and for God’s glory. And no matter what his circumstances, Paul used that situation to boldly proclaim Christ and Him crucified. With his eyes on the prize of the salvation of others and the ultimate heavenly destination, Paul counted it all joy (Philippians 1-3). 

Then there is the glorious chapter 4 of Philippians. In his great joy and excitement and confident faith, Paul shares his secret. First, he sets it up by urging us to rejoice in the Lord. No need to be anxious about your bank account, your reflection, or even your daily pain. Be prayerful, with gratitude, and your heart and mind will be guarded by an incomprehensible peace of God. He tells us how to focus our thoughts (v 8) and to practice all the stuff he taught us through this and his other letters (v 9). Then, drumroll please…Paul gives us the key to contentment. “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am,” he says. Whether broke, rich, hungry, suffering, with friends, alone in a prison cell. You and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. That’s it! In our own strength and effort, we will always be lacking, wanting, discontent—there’s always more to be had, something better. But in Christ and through Christ, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-39). Want to stand firm and be bold like Paul? Want to know that you know that you know the peace, joy—and, yes, contentment—found only in Jesus? Consider these other exhortations from our brother Paul: We were dead, and now we’re alive in Christ—seated with Him—and we are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:1-10); there’s no more condemnation for us (Romans 8:1); we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17); we are daughters and sons of God (Galatians 3:26). And this is just a taste of why/how soul-level contentment is ours for the taking.

Friend, do you want true and lasting contentment? (I sure do!) In Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to firmly grasp it—no matter what our life and circumstances look like. And although secrets are typically meant to be kept quiet, this one has been given to us to be shared. So, like Paul, let’s go tell the world.

Lord, may I hold fast to the secret of contentment: Christ, His victory over sin and death, and who I am in Him.

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 

~1 John 3:18

Our church is big on living the conduit life as a Christian—to be a passthrough of God’s love, mercy, and grace to others. Another way our pastor exhorts this truth is by saying, “Once we are rescued by Jesus, we become part of the rescue team.” This Biblical “one another” attitude (and practice) is one of the many reasons I just love my church family.

We recently finished up a series that went through our Discipleship Journey map, a never-ending triangle of following Jesus to deepen our relationship with Him. During the wrap-up sermon, the pastor used an analogy of a healthy Christian life that was one of those mic-drop moments for me. And I’m totally stealing it to elaborate on here: He commented that we need to be like sponges. 

See, for many people, being a Christian is about finding “the right” church that will strike the smart-shopper balance of entertainment/engagement, kid-friendliness, aligned musical tastes, etc.…even though (due to children sports, family vacations, or sleeping in) they’ll show up about once a month. They want what they want. Others are truly faithful to not miss a church service (Hebrews 10:25), loving the worship experience in song and teaching. There is even a good percentage who, in addition to consistent corporate worship, read their Bible on the regular. They soak in all the never-ending goodness, richness, and conviction God’s Word has to offer, satisfying that Holy-Spirit-given appetite.

But as followers of Christ, we can’t just be sponges—soaking in and soaking in, even though it’s all good stuff we’re absorbing. Because we all know what happens when you don’t squeeze out your sponge on the regular: It gets sour and starts to stink. So, just like a sponge, we’ve got to squeeze ourselves out: doing good unto others and serving, giving away what the Lord is teaching us (Matthew 23:11; Galatians 5:13-14; 1 Peter 4:10). And there are so many ways to do this! Be part of a small group at your church to talk about God’s Word—or just meet together with one or two other believers once a week to share what God’s teaching you and how He’s moving in your life. And serve! I guarantee that there are at least 10 different ways you can serve at your church right now, whether during Sunday (and/or midweek) services, through local ministry/outreach partners, and short-term global mission trips. Or find a local Christian organization on your own that fuels your spirit. 

However you choose to squeeze yourself, there is a beautiful irony that takes place: You don’t experience an emptiness in the emptying! In fact, this spiritual squeeze produces an immense fullness of joy! Giving yourself away immeasurably blesses you (Acts 20:35)! Plus, the pouring out for others creates the space to refill with more of God’s Word and refuel yourself for more giving away. 

So, sweet friend, live the sponge life. Soak up God’s truth and goodness through His Word, corporate worship, and community…then squeeze yourself out for the sake of others. And then repeat. 

Lord, I am so grateful that You have rescued me—brought me from death to life, from darkness into Your glorious light. Make me a conduit of Your love and grace as I give of myself to others in Your name.

How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? 

~Roman 10:14

After my husband and I had a wonderful time in Pittsburgh visiting our son and daughter-in-love, I was able to stay there for a couple extra days and help Rachel (DIL) pack up in preparation for their upcoming move to Richmond. My flight home was very early on Wednesday…got to the airport about 4:30am for a flight that left at 6am. Because I was a “C” group on Southwest, that meant I’d get a “Center” seat—which I did. And as I sat down to a distinctive alcohol odor, my “judginess” began. And I didn’t even have to make presumptions. As soon as I buckled in, the woman in the window seat confessed to be drunk and warn me that she may fall asleep on my shoulder. I mustered a slight smile (as my inward eyes rolled and my mind screamed, “Seriously? You’re wasted at 6am?!”), and I probably said something like, “Oh, gosh.” She then proclaimed how “that’s what happens when you’re 60…you mop the floor while drinking wine, you do the laundry and have a drink…when you’re 60, that’s just what you do.” (She made the “turning 60” comment several other times.)

Opening number one. Not taken.

Before she did, in fact, pass out, I asked where she was going, and she said in her slurred yet distinctive Pittsburgh accent that she was going to Kansas to visit her daughter. In her mumbling, I heard her say something like, “I’m her emotional support animal.” I may have said, “Oh gosh” again, but I ignored her the best I could.

Opening number two. Not taken.

After about 3 minutes in the seat, I opened my book and intently read. Still annoyed, still internally ranting and questioning at what time of morning she would have to have started drinking to be THAT drunk by the time she boarded the plane at 5:30am. And I was relieved (yet still eye-rolling inside) when she passed out. 

What I SHOULD have done, I know. I SHOULD have seen her pain. My inward thoughts SHOULD have been a cry to the Holy Spirit to empower me to ask, “What are you trying to numb?” I SHOULD have seen that she was running from some demon in her life. Trying desperately to quiet the internal condemnation, shame, sadness. See, I was there at one time too! I know that numb-the-pain road—I’ve walked down it. I SHOULD have recalled where I’d been in order to empathize with her. (How I’ve played drinking games at 6am before school, or walked into class during grad school absolutely plastered, or drank-drugged-and-sexed my way to shut up my own demons.)

I COULD have been a witness to her about how Jesus freed me—and how He could free her. I COULD have shared how she is fully known and love by God, despite the lying hisses of the enemy in her ear. I COULD have shared how she can stop trying so hard…that she can simply surrender to the One who loves her and bought the victory for her on Calvary, defeating sin and death. I COULD have asked her if I could pray for her…had I asked about her (obviously) devastating 60^th birthday, or her daughter who is clearly going through a hard time, or if I’d taken any of the many opportunities to ask about her life. Her pain.

I SHOULD have thought differently about the whole situation. I COULD have done something to love her better and point her to Jesus. But I didn’t.

So, I had to ask the Lord to forgive me. In my mind, I have told that woman countless times that I am sorry. So sorry. And I pray that the Lord place another believer next to her on her flight back to Pittsburgh who will speak life into her. That this person does not ignore her pain, but recognize it and share with her the One she can hand it over to—whose burden is light. That this believer does not judge, but instead offers her the gift of new life in Christ. 

Lord, forgive me. Let me see the opportunities You give me! And then empower me to open my mouth in love for that person to share the Good News and shine light into the dark places. 

“I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

~John 10:10b

On July 4, 1776, the new Congress of what would ultimately become the United States of America, put forth a Declaration of Independence. This document clearly enumerated Great Britain’s tyrannical actions and the young nation’s absolution from allegiance to the British crown. One of the most quoted sentiments of this separation agreement sets its foundation:  

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The Founding Fathers of our great nation set forth the truth (which at one point was self-evident) that human beings are created equal by God and have been given the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of (note, it’s not the attainment of!) happiness—and that no one can dispossess us of these things. The Declaration of Independence, as well as the Constitution drafted 11 years later, established the ideal for the new (and never-been-done-before) Republic. It’s a truly beautiful thing (despite how you hear today’s angry mobs shout otherwise), and as citizens of the U.S., we are privileged to live this way.

Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson wasn’t the first one to pen these concepts. We can look through the pages of the Bible and find the original promises made to the followers of Jesus Christ. As citizens of heaven (1 Peter 2:9-10; Philippians 3:20) , we are privileged to have received life, liberty, and the pursuit of joy (which is way better than happiness).

Life: We were dead in our sins, but have been made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10). Through Jesus we possess secure eternal life (John 3:16; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38-39). And Jesus came to make us completely new (Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17), transform us into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 1:6), and allow us to walk in abundant life here on earth as we make our way Home to heaven (John 10:10).

Liberty: We were slaves to sin, but Jesus bought our freedom through His death and resurrection—His victory is ours. True liberty is found only in Him (John 8:31-36; Galatians 5:1). Upon salvation, we are given the Holy Spirit to live in us—and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). And as Christ-followers, we don’t use this freedom to indulge ourselves, but to serve others (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16).

Joy: In response to our God-given, Christ-bought life and liberty, believers are to choose joy (1 Peter 1:3-9; Philippians 4:4). Jesus lived this way during His ministry, even as He was being crucified (Hebrews 12:1-3). Obedience to the Father and abiding in Christ bring us true joy (John 15:8-11). And like our Savior, as well as through the example (and exhortation) of the Apostles, we are to endure the hard things of this life for the joy set before us. But beyond “endurance”, we are to actually “count it all joy” because these trials are part of our growth (James 1:2-4). See, happiness is based on our happenings…joy, however, can (and should) be a constant no matter what we walk through. 

As citizens of the United States, let’s appreciate the rights our nation endows us with. But as citizens of heaven, let’s celebrate the life, liberty, and joy given to us by God through Christ Jesus. 

Lord, thank You for my new life and freedom in Christ. In response, may I choose joy as I walk in obedience and glorify You.

Do all things without complaining or arguments; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.

~Philippians 2:14-15

My husband and I are huge fans of the “Great British Baking Show”—we’ve watched every season (and some more than once). We love the premise and the competition…and, of course, the end-product baked goods. The only problem with our bingeing this particular show is that it leads to another sort of bingeing in that we tend to start baking delicious treats. One of our favorite weeks of the show is “Bread Week”, when the participants craft mouth-watering bread creations. Since Paul Hollywood is the master of all-things-bread, it’s a tough week for the competitors. The surface crust must be just-so, and the inside the perfect aerated texture. With each fail, it’s usually the result of not being “proved” enough—or, in other words, the dough needed to grow more.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul uses this concept of “proving”—the process of growth—to make a point to the believers in Philippi (and to us) that our salvation is also a process. We’re to “work it out with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Now, please note that we are saved into new life the moment we surrender to Jesus as our Lord and Savior by grace through faith. That said, the rest of our life until we in glory with the Lord is a process of becoming more and more like Christ (also called “sanctification”). And we are only able to do this through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. 

Paul exhorts us in all his epistles as to the “how’s” of sanctification, and it’s true within Philippians as well. In chapter 1, Paul reminds us that God, who began a good work in us through salvation will complete it (1:6). He then goes on to encourage us to love others more and more through continuing to know the Word and seek discernment, which will help us live fruity lives (1:9-11). We’re reminded to be bold for the gospel and stand firm against false teachers and persecutors, even unto death (1:16-30). Then, Paul goes onto urge us to maintain unity in the church body, humbling ourselves to put others first as Christ did for us (2:1-11). What’s more (and what’s super-difficult), we’re to “do all things without complaining or arguing” (2:14). We don’t live this way to earn anything! We live this way in response to our salvation and to continually grow in our faith.

As Paul says in verse 15 of chapter 2, this is how the “proving”—or growth—happens. Not only are we becoming more and more like Jesus as we walk out our lives as children of God, but we become beacons of light in this dark world. We’re not needing to “prove ourselves blameless and pure”—we’re clearly not in this life! We live in a fallen body in a fallen world operated by our enemy. This “proving” is simply continuing the process God started in us to become more and more blameless and pure, standing out from the perverse culture around us. We’re to be a beacon of light drawing others into its warmth, security, and hope.

So, friend, let’s prove ourselves. Not in the way our world uses this phrase—we don’t have to prove anything because we didn’t earn our salvation—it was a gift. Like that “scrummy” loaf of delectable bread, we must allow for the process of growth, rising up toward our ultimate glory when we’re Home with the Lord.

Father God, thank You for the gift of salvation! Through the power of the Holy Spirit living in me, help me grow to be more and more like Jesus, and shine like a light in darkness around me.