I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 (New Living Translation)

Trials and sorrows are part of living on the earth. But it’s such a comfort to know that God will help us overcome any and every trial and problem we are faced with, no matter how big or small! And not only will he help us through it, but He will give us peace through it too. We can have peace even in situations where peace is nowhere to be found, God can still give us his heavenly peace that passes all understanding. We just have to pray about it and give him whatever it is we’re worried about and trust in Him that he will help us overcome, and He will! And also ask Him to give you that peace that passes all understanding and He will. Try to keep your focus on God and not the problem, and it’s then that you truly will have peace.

Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord and not for men. 24 Remember that you will get your reward from the Lord. He will give you what you should receive. You are working for the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24 (New Life Version)

Whatever it is that you do every day, go to school, work, clean the house or watch after the kids…do it as unto the Lord. Go to school and study as if the Lord is teaching you. Go to work and work as if the Lord is your boss and you’re doing God’s work.  Clean your house and watch after the kids as if you’re cleaning the Lord’s house and watching after HIS kids. Do EVERYTHING that you do, as unto the Lord, and you will be rewarded. Remember, it’s all about Him…not about us.

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”

John 8:7 (Word English Bible)

It’s easy for us to judge other’s in their sin…but we have no right to judge them, because we ourselves are not with out sin. There isn’t a human on earth that has never sinned. We are all human and fall short of the glory of God, that’s why He sent Jesus to die for us – to pay the price for our sins so that we could  be blameless and pure in his eyes and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Now that doesn’t give us the right to sin and do whatever we want, no…we must live to please God and not our sinful nature. And satan will constantly tempt all of us, we all have our weak areas and satan knows what each of our weak areas are and will tempt you in the area he knows you are weakest in. When that happens, pray and ask the Lord to give you strength to resist temptation, and I also encourage you to talk to a fellow christian about the sin that you are tempted by and to ask them to hold you accountable. In some cases you may even need to get counseling or be in a support group to get freedom from the sin that you struggle with. God will ALWAYS provide a way out of the temptation. So if you find yourself tempted…look for that way out…and seek help from other’s. Also spend as much time in God’s word and in prayer and with the Lord as you can..God will give you strength and help you. And don’t judge other’s in their sin. Pray for them, and know that but for the grace of God there you would be, too.

Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you

Matthew 23:11 (The Message)

One of the best ways to stand out, to let other’s see God’s love in you and to really make an impact on others, to really make a difference, is to SERVE. Step down. Put other’s needs above your own. Serve other’s. Help other’s. Make your life all about serving God and show that by serving other’s. That’s one of the ways that we serve God, by serving people, helping out people in need…it let’s them see God’s love in you. When you act selfless instead of selfish, it really does let other’s see God in you. When you puff yourself up and put yourself first, acting selfish or demanding your own way, you really will get the wind knocked out of you. The saying “Pride goes before the fall” is really true. Put other’s above yourself and it’s THEN that you’ll be lifted up!

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 

We are in this struggle together.

Philippians 1:29-30 (New Living Translation)

Many people wouldn’t think of suffering as a privilege. But when you suffer for Christ, it really IS a privilege! And there WILL be times that you will suffer for Him. Times that other’s will condemn you or give you a rough time or make fun of you. But when that happens, just think that in other countries, people are even KILLED because of their faith in Christ. In America, we have the freedom to worship Christ. We are BLESSED with that freedom! And so we should count it as a privilege whenever anyone makes fun of us or is rude or mean to us because of our faith, it compares nothing to the glory we will see in  heaven one day. So don’t let other’s get you down when they give you a hard time because of your faith, but rejoice, and consider it a privilege. And think of all that Christ went through for YOU! The suffering He went through for us makes our suffering nothing in comparison. It’s also important to be a part of a church home that you attend often, so fellow christians can encourage you when other’s are putting you down. Remember, we are all in this struggle together.

Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.
Philippians 2:14-16 (The Message)

Our society really is polluted. And what’s really sad as that most people can’t tell apart the christians from the unbelievers. If we as christians act like everyone else, how are people going to see God in us? Give people a glimpse of God by the way you act. Be a breath of fresh air in the polluted society, by your attitude. Act differently. Act cheerfully, even when you gave to do tasks you’d rather not or even when you go through hard timed or people treat you badly, respond in love. Respond in joy, and you truly will give them a glimpse of our good and living God!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
      His faithful love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 (New Living Translation)

We spend so much time in prayer asking God for what we want that so often we forget to THANK Him for what He’s already given us. The Lord has blessed each of us SO much more then we can even imagine – the greatest gift of all being sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for OUR sins so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. He loves us even though we’re undeserving of His love. His faithful love endure FOREVER!!! That means He’s NEVER going to stop loving you. So take a moment today, and every day, and THANK God.

Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.”
      Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

Proverbs 20:22 (New Living Translation)

Sometimes people are going to do us wrong. When that happens, instead of “getting even” or “getting back at them”, we should pray and wait for the Lord to handle the matter, for He can handle it much better then we could! If we respond in anger and get even with the person we’ll only end up causing more trouble in the end, which will cause that person to keep treating us wrongly and if we keep responding by treating them wrong it’s going to start a bad cycle of anger. So the next time someone treats you wrong, hold your tongue. Don’t get back at them. Pray…and wait. God will handle the matter…for there is no one better to handle things then God!

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.

Romans 13:12 (The Message)

It’s easy for us to get so busy with our day by day obligations that sometimes we can get so “busy” that we don’t “have time” to spend with God…when that should be our FIRST priority every day! If you find yourself feeling far away from God it could be that you aren’t spending enough time with Him, and that He isn’t your top priority. Make spending time with God your FIRST priority every day, time in the bible, in prayer, in quiet time with God first thing every day, and you will be refreshed, renewed and encouraged every day to complete the rest of your day by day obligations! But if you put God last on the list the day often slips away without spending time with Him, and it’s then that we start to drift farther away from him and start feeling frustrated in every area of our life. The closer to God we are and the more time we spend with him, the more we’ll be content in every area of our life, through both the good and the bad times.  Make sure you spend time with God every day – you won’t regret it!

A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
   gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

Proverbs 17:22 (The Message)

Have you ever noticed that when you’re really happy or excited you also get a burst of energy? And when you’re sad or depressed you feel dead tired. Our mood and attitude can effect our energy and our health! And we have to mentally make an effect to change our attitude sometimes. So if you find yourself thinking depressing thoughts or find that your thoughts are spiraling downward, make an effort to look up. Put your focus on God, give to him whatever it is your depressed about and trust in Him that He will help you, then count your blessings – this is one of the best ways to put yourself in a better mood – counting the many blessings the Lord has given you, the greatest gift of all being eternal life in heaven with him through Jesus dying on the cross!