It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever – the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.
What results can you point to so far this year that indicate you have taken action to become a better Christian?
Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
James 2:18
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Start living more by taking a new path or two. Challenge yourself to do a little more, go a little further, and share a little more of yourself. Start with simple acts of kindness you may have overlooked in the past. You'll feel a renewed sense of living when you do.
Shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.
2 Corinthians 3:3
Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
Christ's example of goodness is our guide to a Christian life. He shows us the way. Read the goodness of Christ's words throughout the Gospel. Follow His example more today and everyday and watch your investment grow and grow.
His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power.
2 Peter 1:3
I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given. I believed in myself, and I believe in the goodness of others. - Muhammad Ali
Look to your faith. Believe in the goodness of Christ, yourself, and others. At times it may require some extra effort, but it's worth it. Your actions will inspire others to be more Christ-like.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge,
2 Peter 1:5
It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
To achieve lofty goals often times the most difficult task is to overcome self imposed obstacles. Ask God for the faith to believe in yourself and the courage to push yourself far beyond the levels you thought were possible.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
Philippians 4:13
In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.
Habits, good or bad are only created by doing them consistently. Take control of your life by making conscious decisions everyday to become the person you want to be. Ask God for the courage and perseverance to fight through temptation and adversity to avoid bad habits. Surround yourself with only those who inspire and revitalize your inner spirit. What habits would you like to change today?
Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22-25
We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.
Tension is rising because we are focusing on the differences found in the many faces of our world and our individual communities. Ask God today to help you to look below the surface and find the inherent good and common values we share with all of God's people.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
No man or woman can be strong, gentle, pure, and good, without the world being better for it and without someone being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.
Goodness has a long reach, but it has to have a beginning. Start each day doing something good for someone and change yourself and the world for the better.
How can I repay the LORD for all the great good done for me?
Psalm 116:12
The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.
Look around at all the goodness God has planted around you, now go out and sow goodness wherever and whenever you can. You can do it because God planted the seed of goodness in us all. If you need a guide, follow Christ's teachings and the example of goodness you see in others.
Listen to my cry for help, for I am brought very low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.
Psalm 142:7
It is impossible to learn that which one thinks one already knows.
You can't learn if you think you already know. You cannot discover the true answers if you are too self-confident and self-assured to ask the right questions. Ask God today for humility to avoid deceiving yourself and inflating your own self worth. Always remember that your talents, strengths and good fortune are the result of God's blessings. Honor that by using your God-given abilities to better serve Him.
When pride comes, disgrace comes; but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2
The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.
Your goodness, how you treat others, and your empathy extends out in all directions. Want to make a big difference? Spread a fragrance of goodness everywhere you go and it will travel to places you'll never see.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Luke 6:31
We are like tea bags – we don't know our own strength until we're in hot water.
Sometimes in order to grow and improve, we must submerge ourselves completely into the problems and challenges we encounter in our life. Ask God for the courage to dive in deep to find the answers and resolutions instead of just brewing on the surface.
To live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
Colossians 1:10-12
We “get” to make a living; we “give” to make a life.
We all have heard and likely believe the fact that “the more we give, the more we receive.” Then why are we so obsessed, stressed and focused on how to get more for ourselves? Spend this week seeking opportunities to be “uncomfortably generous” with the many gifts God has provided you. You will soon discover your reluctance to give dissipate while your heart inflates with peace and happiness.
If you are righteous, what do you give him, or what does he receive from your hand?
Job 35:7
Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the keys to living your life with integrity.
Build on your integrity each and every day. Do the morally right thing at every intersection. It won't be easy, but push on anyway because you know the right thing to do. Ask God for the courage to stand strong.
Exhortation and Greetings. Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Trade up on trust even if it means you trade down on competency.
Surround yourself with people you can trust and those who embrace a positive spirit. The smartest, the most qualified, the fastest, and the best-looking may not be your best choice. Focus on developing long-term relationships with those who share your values and character.
And puts a new song in my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many shall look on in fear and they shall trust in the LORD.
Psalm 40:4
People do less than they ought, unless they do all they can.
If life and time begins to diminish your zeal to achieve your dreams, ask God to provide you with the courage and the energy to continue to aggressively pursue your goals to the very best of your ability each day.
Exhortation and Greetings. Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Your every act should be done with love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Always do you best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.
Make sure you put your best into your giving of your time, talent and treasure to those in need. The world will become a better place for us all if you do.
My eyes look with glee on my wicked enemies; my ears shall hear what happens to my wicked foes. The just shall flourish like the palm tree, shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Psalm 92:12-14
Sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
Surprise someone you may not get along with by showing kindness and lending them a helping hand. Most of us don't like surprises but this one will be unlike most and seen as an act of God [which it will be.
My eyes look with glee on my wicked enemies; my ears shall hear what happens to my wicked foes. The just shall flourish like the palm tree, shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Thessalonians 5:14
It isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
Forgiving oneself is not easy; but the good news is that peace of mind is a result of doing so. Talk with God about your sin in prayer and ask for His forgiveness. This is the first step in finding the path to forgive yourself.
To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
Luke 1:77
The secret of happiness is not always in doing what one likes to do, but in liking what one has to do.
Ask God to provide you with the right attitude today in order that you can begin to develop a habit of seeing more of the positive elements of your daily tasks. The positive spirit that you begin to nurture and develop each day will transform you into a happier version of yourself and a better model of God's love to others.
And I saw that there is nothing better for mortals than to rejoice in their work; for this is their lot. Who will let them see what is to come after them?
Ecclesiastes 3:22