Heartbeat

Loneliness

How do you handle loneliness? It’s a feeling we all struggle with from time to time. Some may try to fill their time with distractions like social media, Netflix, medication… But what are you left with when there’s nothing to watch or when the bottle’s empty?
Jesus knew loneliness as well. Leading up to the cross we see Him in the garden of Gethsemane, overwhelmed with emotion and praying to His Father- asking for another way. But in the end, He says, “Not my will but Yours be done”.
I think something we should learn from Jesus is that even in our darkest times, at the loneliest moment, God still has a plan and a will for our life. You are never alone.  The Creator of the Universe resides in your heart and He’s more than happy to call it home.

Listen

How many times have you simply needed someone to listen?
We live in a world where many within our journey of faith carry heavy burdens and feel as though no one wants to hear them for fear of being judged or ridiculed.
But praise God they have you in their lives – a fellow believer who will “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.”
Be that listening ear for someone today. Be present and ready to listen to your brother or sister in Christ. As you serve the Lord, look for opportunities to be “slow to speak, but quick to listen”.
As the author, Krista Tippett once said, “Listening is about being present, not just being quiet”

Some Relationship Advice

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who told me his relationship wasn’t going great.  A week ago, he was thinking of proposing and now he tells me they broke up because she was chewing her food too loud. I think my dear friend might be a little too picky.
Some of us can allow ourselves to set impractical expectations when looking for a partner in life. The truth is, that marriage is about two flawed people coming together for love and support of each other and their imperfections.
Set your heart to find that imperfect person who, with Christ as the center, together can experience another form of the same, undeserving, loving grace that is extended to us by our Heavenly Father.

Do I Really Matter?

All of us, at some point, can find ourselves in a dark place.  Where we may even begin to feel like nothing matters. And while we’re in this funk, it’s difficult to realize we all matter in God’s eyes. In fact, He loves us beyond what we can ever understand.
Luke 12:7 states, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
 
So, hold your head high and know you are loved and known by your Heavenly Father. He knows all your fears and secrets yet loves you unconditionally and beyond measure. Feel a reassuring peace that you are His child and everything about you matters to Him.

Off the Chain

I was taking a walk through my new neighborhood and noticed one of my neighbor’s dogs on a chain in the backyard. There was a perfect path where the poor thing had paced so much at the end of his chain that there was bare lawn. The owner noticed my concern and said, “Oh, that’s Dingo; he has way too much energy”. I said, “well, do you ever take him off his chain?”. With a horrified expression he replied, “I can’t do that, he’d run away”.
Unlike this poor dog, in Christ, our Heavenly Father has let us off the chain. And we have the freedom to choose a relationship with Him or not. Galatians 5, verse 1 says,
“It is for freedom that we have been set free”.
In Christ, we’re His sons and daughters, not slaves. He draws us in with perfect love, not demands. He paid the greatest price to call you home, so don’t allow anything to you back on a chain.

Set Apart

At this very moment, you may be enjoying your favorite Christian fast food, in your Christian car, while driving to your Christian job. And while many of these things we praise God for having the freedom to enjoy; have we left the world behind in pursuit of a life only surrounded by quote, “Christian” things and other Christian people?
While we, like the apostle Paul said he was, are “set apart” for the Gospel of God; does being set apart mean that we step aside and lose all connection to the outside world?
As believers, we are here to be the light in a dark place. We are here to introduce people to Jesus and to be the omnipresence of our Father through our loving actions toward our neighbors.
To do this effectively, we’re going to have to get outside of the walls of the church.
Enjoy your favorite Christian music, but don’t forget to show love to your atheist neighbor while you’re at it.

Live Life to the Brim

Life is short. It’s far too short to waste. Remember when you were a kid and a year or two felt like an eternity? Now it feels like with every year I get older, time speeds up faster and faster. Before you know it, God willing, you’ll be in your sixties, looking back at your life. You may have grown children of your own by that point who will think you’re old and you’ll wonder how the days passed by so quickly.
Don’t waste your time. Savor every moment. Be brave; Chase your dreams. God has placed them in your heart for a reason. Get as much as you can out of every day. Live life to the brim.

Few Battles Are Won Alone

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that, “God helps those who help themselves.” You may be surprised to learn that nowhere in the Bible does that appear. In fact, God doesn’t want you to be a solely independent spirit.
            God often sends others into our lives to be of great help to us- and… us to them. In the Bible, Paul had to depend on others to lower him in a basket to escape outside the city wall. And I imagine it must have been tough for Paul to find enough humility to depend on others.
Maybe you have a hard time asking for help. But, God rarely asks us to fly solo.
            You can depend on others, and more importantly, you can depend on Him!
 

Unhealthy Decisions

When a medical test result indicates something’s wrong, our doctor will often have a serious discussion with us to figure out what behaviors may be contributing to the illness. Then, based on their knowledge and experience, they’ll make some suggestions and give us a guideline to follow moving forward. In this discussion, a good doctor isn’t casting judgment on the patient. They’re simply warning of what could happen if we continue down this path.
As the body of Christ- there will be times when a fellow believer might need such a discussion. But, have these discussions with grace and love.
As Galatians 6 in the Message says- “If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.”

We Have Work to do

Imagine getting hired for a job. You show up on day one and have nothing to do. There are no instructions, no guidance. You just stand around all day until 5 o’clock rolls around. You might think the management has no idea what they’re doing.
In our Christian walk, God has prepared work for us to do. And our job isn’t to sit in church aimlessly but to get outside the walls of the church and be His hands and feet.
So, use your gifts to make an impact in this world. 1st Peter, chapter 4 says;
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Being a follower of Christ isn’t a passive life. This world needs you!