Indulging your ego

"Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cosy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul" - 1 Peter 2:11 (Message) 

The more we believe that 'this' life is all that there is, the more we will try to make ourselves cosy in it. The scriptures point to another life beyond this earthly life - an existence that is chosen for us by God and we are invited to choose this 'Eternal Life.' Sadly though, many of us spend a lot of time indulging our ego's at the expense of our souls.

What do you feel?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

A lamp that can talk?

Have you ever heard of a lamp that could talk? I have never ever heard of this at all, but I have seen many lamps that have been able to shine. Turn them on and they have light up the room. After all, isn't that what lamps are supposed to do ... shine!?

·       " I would not give much for your religion unless it can be seen. Lamps do not talk, but they do shine." - Source Unknown.

    Our greatest challenge as Christians is to follow up our words with our actions. Non-Christians are not drawn as much to our 'preaching', but they do notice when we "shine" the love of Christ wherever we go. 

    So here is the challenge for today - do we shine as much as we talk? 

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 ^- Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

² Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
³ A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

New Scandal

We have become immune to the word 'Scandal.' We see it everyday on the billboards around town and on every second headline on the news. This politician, or that actor. A sports star or a musician. A church leader or a teacher. Scandal after scandal after scandal.

With all this happening around us, we have become numb to the greatest act of love of all time - the life and death of Jesus Christ, that became a 'Scandal' in his time. The fact that a King would die in place of his followers was totally unheard of - it is almost scandalous to suggest that this would happen. But it DID! And through the love of God we are given a opportunity to be part of God's family again.



John 1:12 - Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

"Grace, what have you done?

Murdered for me on that cross
Accused in absence of wrong
My sin washed away in your blood

 

Too much to make sense of it all
I know that your love breaks my fall
The scandal of grace, you died in my place
So my soul will live

 

Oh to be like you
Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart..." - Hillsong, Scandal of Grace

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The expression of your thoughts

"Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts." - Soren Kiekegaard

Is this not true in many instances? The more we think on something the more likely it is that those things become a part of us - good or bad? Which all seems consistent with what Solomon was saying in Proverbs.

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." - Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

So, here is the tough question. Are your thoughts directing your life? If yes, which direction are they taking you in? Is that where Jesus wants you to be?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/soren_kierkegaard.html

Watch your words

"A person's words can be life-giving water;
words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook." - Proverbs 18:4

Two things to reflect on today:
1. The words we use can be 'life-giving' if we choose them carefully. We can lift others up, encourage them and give them purpose and meaning.
2. We have all been wounded by words in the past and these words have been like contaminated water. Instead of bringing life, they have brought pain and death.

Let us choose option 1 for today and always.

"Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something." - Plato

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/speak.ht

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Mountains inspire

Winston Churchill once remarked that "Mountains inspire leaders, but valleys mature them."

I like this sentiment a lot. When I look at physical mountains I am inspired by them - part of me wants to climb to the top and explore everything about them. Valleys - not so much. They seem harder and are often in the shade, yet these are the times that we learn more about ourselves and others.

So, if you were looking at your life today, what 'MOUNTAINS' are inspiring you at the moment and what 'VALLEYS' are teaching you (maturing you)?

Deuteronomy 11:11 - "But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Chaos

Most days the world seems to be in chaos. I wonder sometimes if there will ever be a period of peace and order in our world? Just when I feel as if I have reached rock bottom I am reminded, again and again, that God creates order out of Chaos. God can work a miracle from the mess of our lives and the lives of those around us. We just need to give God space to work and to trust in his divine plan.

2 Peter 3:5-7 - They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God’s word.

 

Let us bring the chaos of our lives to our Creator and ask him to make something beautiful out of the pieces of our brokenness.

 

Living in Grace

D3LM3