⛪CHRISTIANS_GLOW ™💡

📖Change your expectations

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you.” Jn 15:11

Why did Jesus say, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full”? Because if you let it, stress will drain you of joy and consign you to a life of depression, dullness, and discontent. Let’s face it—most of us are way too serious! We make a big deal out of everything. Being five minutes late, getting stuck in traffic, somebody giving us a wrong look, waiting in line, overcooking a meal, gaining a pound, discovering a wrinkle, making an honest mistake…you name it; we lose all perspective. The real problem is we have unrealistic expectations. That’s not how God wants you to live! If you want to experience the joy Jesus promised, do these two things: (1) Concede that your uptightness is largely because of the way you have decided life should be. (2) Acknowledge that your expectations are causing you much of your frustration. When you keep expecting things to always be a certain way and they’re not, you will always be upset. Here is an idea: Try approaching life today without all those expectations. For example, don’t expect everybody to be friendly—then when some are, you will be delighted. Don’t expect your day to be hassle-free; when trouble comes, look up and say, “Thank you, Lord, for another chance to grow.” Go ahead, try it and see how much better things are. Rather than swimming against the tide, learn to flow with it. Pretty soon, you will find you’re enjoying life more! And not just that: Other people will enjoy being around you more.

📖“Servants” for life

“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle.” Ro 1:1 NAS

In the Bible the word “minister” isn’t just a noun (which denotes a person, place, or thing); it’s also a verb (an action word). It’s what you do, not what you claim to be. In Scripture, the word “servant” sometimes referred to a third-level galley slave chained to the oar of a Roman ship. Day and night, they rowed to the beat of another, and whether in battle or in merchant service, they expected to die chained to that oar. What a picture! Paul says, “Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God…Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable” (Ro 12:1 NLT). Paul had no doubt about what God had called him to be. When he referred to himself as a “bond-servant,” he was describing a slave who served his master faithfully for six years. In the seventh year, the law of Moses required that the slave be set free. But if, when he was released, he came back and said, “Master, I’m not serving you because I have to; I’m serving you because I want to,” his master would take him before a magistrate and pierce his ear, signifying that he belonged to him forever (See Ex 21:6). Sometimes you need to look up and say: “Lord, I’m not serving you because I have to; I’m serving you because I love you. Pierce my ear. Mark me as yours. Bond me with you so I can never belong to another.” When you think of everything Jesus has done for you, is that really too much to ask?

📖Build a relationship with your children

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” Ps 127:1

How would you describe your relationship with your children? Strained? Exciting? Heartbreaking? Enjoyable? If you want a real eye-opener, ask them to describe their feelings about you and their home. But be warned—what they say might not be to your liking! And having a Christian home doesn’t necessarily exempt you. The old nature in us still rears its ugly head from time to time, and habits set in concrete can lead to broken communication. When biblical principles are ignored, the result is pain and strain in the family. Three illustrations come to mind: (1) Rebekah loved her son Jacob more than his brother Esau, so she used him to deceive their father, Isaac, and cause division in the family (See Ge 27). (2) Eli, the high priest, let his boys run wild, and in the end it cost him his life (See 1Sa 3-4). (3) David preached one thing but practiced another, and his children (as kids are apt to do) were more influenced by what he did than by what he said. (See 2Sa 11, 13, 15-16; 1Ki 11). Nobody is immune; not David, not Rebekah, not Eli—not you! But evaluation is pointless if it leads to guilt without action. So what should you do? Take time to get close to your children. Deal with the barriers between you. You can’t change anything unless you’re willing to acknowledge it—and sometimes change must begin with you. For example, does your attitude need adjusting? How about your priorities? What about the example you have been setting lately? Before you try to deal with your children, ask God to deal with you.

📖Today, choose the right attitude

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Ro 12:2 NAS

Long before William James, the father of American psychology, was attributed with saying, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes,” God said, “As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Pr 23:7 NKJV). Often it’s our thoughts, not our circumstances, that determine our happiness. We keep thinking we will be happy when certain things happen. For example, some mothers say, “When little Tommy starts elementary school, I will be happy.” And they are, for a while. Next, “When Tommy graduates from high school, I will be happy.” And they are, at least for the summer. Next, Tommy’s graduation from college brings the same promise; so does his marriage, and the birth of the first grandchild. But the problem is, mom hasn’t learned how to be happy between “happenings.” When your happiness is controlled by something outside yourself, you will always be hostage to people, places, and things. That’s not how God wants you to live—a victim of circumstances beyond your control. The psalmist said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Ps 34:1). David chose the right attitude, and you have to do the same! You also must maintain it. That’s the hard part. It’s like the old farmer who said, “The hardest thing about milking cows is—they don’t stay milked!” And it’s the same with attitudes; they don’t stay changed. You have to work on them every day; it’s called “renewing…your mind.” And the way you do it is by getting into God’s Word and getting His Word into you. Are you doing that regularly?

📖Beware of self-pity

“No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” 1Co 10:24 NIV 

Self-pity can be deadly. It tells the wife and mother who works hard, “You’re not appreciated.” It says to the office worker, “Look how valuable you are, yet you’re never recognized or rewarded.” It says to the unemployed, “No chance!” To the divorced, “No place!” To the bereaved, “No hope!” And to the struggling, “No way!” Look at the prophet Elijah. Twenty-four hours after his greatest victory, he is deeply depressed and wallowing in self-pity. “I have had enough…Take my life…I have zealously served…But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed…your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too” (1Ki 19:4, 10 NLT). There it is—self-pity in the raw! Generally speaking, there are two reasons behind self-pity. The first is emotional manipulation. We use self-pity as a weapon to guilt-trip others and get our own way. That’s immaturity and you have to deal with it, whether it’s in yourself or somebody else. On the other hand, self-pity can also stem from sheer exhaustion. Recorded in the Old Testament, God showed Elijah four behaviors he needed to correct to get himself back on track: (1) He needed more rest. (2) He needed to eat better. (3) He had to turn this eyes to God and stop trying to do everything in his own strength. (4) He was isolated and needed a friend. So, God gave him Elisha. That did the job, and the next time we see Elijah, he is back on top. Take a moment today and think about how you can apply this to your life.

📖He will do it again!

“Jacob set up a memorial…to mark the place where God had spoken with him.” Ge 35:14 GWT

There are events in all our lives that, looking back, had to be the hand of God at work. One author puts it like this: “Maybe you bumped into somebody who introduced you to your spouse…or a coworker resigned and suddenly you were promoted…or a stranger said something that spoke to your heart. These are all signs of God’s favor, and when you’re tempted to get down, you need to remember how God opened the door for you…how he made a way…how he spared your life…how he healed your child. There is no such thing as coincidence…when something good happens, recognize that it’s God, and recall it often.” In the Old Testament, “Jacob set up a memorial…to mark the place where God had spoken with him.” Have you established any memorial stones lately? A sure way to build your faith is to remember all the times God made a way when every door was locked and barred against you…days when you were lonely and God brought the right person into your life…nights when you felt so bad you didn’t think you would make it until the next morning. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, God turned things around…gave you the oil of joy for mourning…lifted you out of the pit…gave you a new beginning…and today you’re happy, healthy, and whole. And best of all: If He did it before, He will do it again! He is the same today as He was yesterday, and when you take time to remember His goodness and faithfulness, it strengthens you to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

“Jacob set up a memorial…to mark the place where God had spoken with him.” Ge 35:14 GWT

There are events in all our lives that, looking back, had to be the hand of God at work. One author puts it like this: “Maybe you bumped into somebody who introduced you to your spouse…or a coworker resigned and suddenly you were promoted…or a stranger said something that spoke to your heart. These are all signs of God’s favor, and when you’re tempted to get down, you need to remember how God opened the door for you…how he made a way…how he spared your life…how he healed your child. There is no such thing as coincidence…when something good happens, recognize that it’s God, and recall it often.” In the Old Testament, “Jacob set up a memorial…to mark the place where God had spoken with him.” Have you established any memorial stones lately? A sure way to build your faith is to remember all the times God made a way when every door was locked and barred against you…days when you were lonely and God brought the right person into your life…nights when you felt so bad you didn’t think you would make it until the next morning. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, God turned things around…gave you the oil of joy for mourning…lifted you out of the pit…gave you a new beginning…and today you’re happy, healthy, and whole. And best of all: If He did it before, He will do it again! He is the same today as He was yesterday, and when you take time to remember His goodness and faithfulness, it strengthens you to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

📖Setting captives free

“He brought them out of darkness…and broke…their chains.” Ps 107:14 NIV

When the Israelites

“cried to the Lord…he saved them…He brought them out of darkness…and broke…their chains” (vv. 13-14 NIV).

And He can set you free from whatever is holding you captive today. And not just temporary freedom, but long-term freedom: “

If the Son sets you free, you are free through and through” (Jn 8:36 MSG)

. Here are two steps you can take toward freedom: (1) Cry out to the Lord. God said,

“You will…find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13 NIV)

. Away with dignity and decorum—desperate situations call for desperate measures! Stop trying to handle it alone. If you could save yourself, you wouldn’t need a Savior. Give it to God,

“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1Pe 5:7 NKJV).

(2) Feed your soul spiritually. Freedom is a two-part process. The first is communion with Jesus. The Israelites fed on the Passover lamb in preparation for leaving slavery. And Jesus, the Lamb of God, declares,

“I am the living bread…Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:51 NIV)

Sharing your feelings and needs with Him will lighten your burden, relieve your loneliness, and nourish your soul. Jesus came to proclaim

“freedom for the prisoners…to set the oppressed free” (Lk 4:18 NIV)

. The second part is meditating on Scripture. Rejecting God’s Word caused the Israelites to become slaves: “Because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High…they fell down, and there was none to help” (Ps 107: 11-12 NKJV). To be set free and stay free, feed every day on God’s life-giving Word.