Our Founding Fathers created a governing framework heavily influenced by biblical principles. Slowly, we have changed from “one nation under God” to a group of people who no longer want Him to be involved.
Our nation has become ungodly in several ways: Many are driven by materialism and power; immorality and rebellion are prevalent; empty philosophy and false doctrine are widely accepted. Underlying it all is the push to keep God out of the nation’s affairs.
Yet even in an unbelieving society, people can, follow Jesus as individuals. But the world will continually disseminate faulty teachings, so believers must be discerning. Otherwise, erroneous messages can lead Christians to compromise their convictions. Then affections and priorities may change. Don’t let the world’s clamor make the Spirit’s voice less audible. Without His guidance, our minds become vulnerable to lies.
The Word of God is a compass that keeps us headed in the right direction, even in the midst of confusing messages. We need to be consistently filled with truth by reading, believing, meditating upon, and applying Scripture. God’s Word also says to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If our minds are focused upon Him, unholy beliefs will not be able to take root.
The Word is our guidebook. We will still face difficulty as we live in this imperfect world—it is a confusing, dark place that entices us but can never fulfills our true longings. Yet God’s truth will bring confidence and boldness, and His Spirit will direct and strengthen, enabling us to live victoriously.
There is a common misconception that believers should be perfect. Pretending to have our life in order, many of us wear a happy face and speak words that sound acceptable. At times we’re ashamed to admit our shortcomings, as if they should not exist. Salvation through Jesus, however, doesn’t change the fact that sin is present in our life. When we’re born again, God forgives us and sees us as righteous. Yet our battle with sin continues till we arrive in heaven.
In fact, striving for perfection actually can be a trap that pulls us away from living a godly life. Functioning in this way is a form of relying on our own abilities. Jesus said that He came to heal the spiritually sick because they recognized their weakness. With an awareness of our inadequacy comes the realization of our need for Him.
The world sees successful individuals as powerful and self-sufficient, but Jesus doesn’t care about these qualities. Instead, He wants people to be aware of their own brokenness. This is the foundation for godliness.
We should accept our neediness and seek God passionately. Doing so allows the following attributes to develop: a hunger for God’s Word, faithful service, deepening trust, and decision-making based upon principle rather than preference. Patiently and mercifully, God matures us.
Be careful not to cover up your sins in order to look like a “good Christian.” Without recognition and confession of our sin, we are unable to rely fully on God. It is only with this awareness that we can passionately seek Him, obey in His strength, and repent when we miss the mark.
God’s grace is amazing. It not only takes care of our sin problem through the cross but also strengthens and sustains us every day of our life. The Lord never wavers in His good purpose for us, nor is He ever thwarted. His sustaining grace is the answer to our …
Difficult circumstances. Being a Christian does not exempt us from painful trials or unpleasant situations. The apostle Paul knew this firsthand. When he presented the good news of the gospel, some believed but many opposed him. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, he wrote that he had been in danger everywhere he went. He experienced rejection, beatings, and arrest but did not give up. God’s grace continually upheld and strengthened him.
Personal suffering. Paul also spoke about the thorn in his flesh, which caused him great torment. Three times he asked God to remove it, but the Lord did not. Why? Because divine grace was sufficient. It would cover Paul’s needs. Grace had already taken the apostle from condemned to forgiven and from outsider to beloved child. Because he experienced the undeserved love of God, this zealous persecutor of the early church became a missionary spreading the good news about Jesus.
The apostle declared that he was content with weaknesses, insults, distresses, and persecutions because he had experienced the Lord’s all-sufficient grace. He knew that God would continue to help him in every situation, and that regardless of his circumstances, living in the favor and love of God was enough. Is that true for you?
Many people today are obsessed with health and fitness. They watch what they eat and exercise religiously, but is that really the most important thing in life? Not according to Scripture. Paul told Timothy, “Bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things” (1 Tim. 4:8). Yet this doesn’t mean we should ignore our physical bodies and indulge in unhealthy practices. These are the only bodies we have at present—the only ones with which to serve the Lord and accomplish whatever He’s planned for us. Therefore, we should do our best to take care of them.
So what does Scripture say about our bodies? Paul teaches that if we are believers, they belong to God, are members of Christ, and are temples of the Holy Spirit. What an amazing thought—that our bodies belong to the divine Trinity. Therefore we must care for them and not ignore or abuse them with sinful or self-indulgent practices.
Because Christians respect church as a place where God is worshipped, none of us would walk into a sanctuary and deliberately vandalize it by smearing paint all over the walls. Yet our bodies are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are worthy of more honor than any house of worship.
Nevertheless, some believers assume that neglecting or mistreating their bodies is their prerogative. However, as we read in Scripture, our bodies belong not to us but to the Lord, who purchased us with His own blood. The goal isn’t to make physical health an idol, but to be responsible to God for how we treat this marvelous gift from Him.
We don’t think of seconds as very important. But they tick away into minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. Look at it this way: A 70-year-old has lived the equivalent of about two billion, two hundred seven million, five hundred and twenty thousand seconds! While you were reading that last sentence, about five seconds of your life elapsed, and you can never go back and decide to use them differently.
Small as they are, seconds are precious because they are a creation and a gift of God. How we use even these small time increments is important because our heavenly Father has a plan for each and every life. Since we are to live it for His purpose and will, we must consider how He would have us spend not just years, months, and days, but even minutes and seconds. And the time to evaluate how we should use them is now, before any more of our life passes by.
Understanding the value of each moment, the apostle Paul urges us, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). In essence, he is instructing us to take advantage of every opportunity the Lord gives us.
The heavenly Father is the one who opens doors for us to serve Him in a variety of ways, but if we neglect these opportunities, there is no guarantee that we will have a second chance. That’s why we must become aware of how we are using our time. Are we wasting it or redeeming it according to God’s will?
