13
Jul '16
How Very Much
13
Jul '16
As an earthly father, we are reflections to our children of their heavenly Father. If you love your child, show them how much you love them through your expression of love. Spend time with them in their interests, extend your approval when you are proud of them, and affirm your support of them. Our heavenly Father lavishes His love on us, we can do the same for our children. Through you, they can recognize their heavenly Father.
12
Jul '16
Close Watch
12
Jul '16
Occasionally we find ourselves in positions where we cannot overtly share the reason for our joy. Teachers often find themselves wanting to share more about Christ but are limited. We can still find ways to sprinkle messages of hope through encouragement, joy, and extending grace. Recommend books, open invitations outside of the limited environment, or just be your lovable self. Above all, stay true to your faith.
11
Jul '16
Your Will Be Done
11
Jul '16
How do you respond when someone you are encouraging doesn’t respond in the way you want them to? We often get our hopes and expectations up and are let down when they can’t meet them. It’s a worse feeling on the other side to be the person who fails to live up to your expectations. Release them of expectations and simply provide encouragement without the pressure to perform. Work on an attitude of planting seeds where some flourish and others may not at this time. Expect God to carry out His will, just focus on planting seeds.
11
Jul '16
Complete Honesty
11
Jul '16
How is it possible for God to clear us of guilt if we aren’t honest about our guiltiness? Many times we hide our sins from ourselves by failing to recognize them or we hide them from others when we aren’t transparent. This verse tells us we can find joy in our honesty and God will clear us of our brokenness. Please don’t use this to condemn yourself of guilt. Instead, use it to positively embrace transparency in your life. Work towards transparency by sharing your struggles with others. They in turn will see Jesus is your strength.
10
Jul '16
God Is Perfect
10
Jul '16
God doesn’t require us to be perfect. We often get caught up running around working to be a complete example of God’s perfection. Actually, not being perfect is better. In our lack of perfection, we depend exclusively on God’s grace to get by. Imperfection reveals our need for Him in our lives. If you are walking through today feeling like you just aren’t able to do anything right, it’s okay. He will cover us with His love and grace.
10
Jul '16
In Humility
10
Jul '16
As much as we think we know it all, there is always more to learn. But we can only learn as much as we want to learn. We could be surrounded by the smartest people in the world, but if our mind and heart aren’t open to growing and maturing, then we can’t improve. Having a teachable heart allows us to serve others and give respect to those who have gone before us. When someone older and wiser extends advice and suggestions to you, how do you respond? If you find yourself stiffening at advice, take a moment to encourage growing a teachable heart in you.
10
Jul '16
My Grace
10
Jul '16
Is it a struggle by the end of the day to keep on going? Have life’s circumstances pulled you into survival mode? Perhaps you have health issues that keep you holding on to life day by day. Or you are a caregiver, putting on a strong face, yet crumbling inside while trying to provide. These trials did not happen without a purpose. Loved ones are learning from you and making changes. When you have a hard time seeing the positives of your struggles, remember this, God works best when you are weak. His grace is all you need.
09
Jul '16
Pass Them On
09
Jul '16
Mentoring and discipling doesn’t mean we have to have our life together in order to take part in the mentoring. It’s coming alongside someone and sharing a little bit of our wisdom gained over the years. Quite possibly, just our presence alone of consistent connection builds up another and keeps our spirits high through the difficult times. Is there someone in your life that you are consistently pouring into and passing along these truths? Is God calling you to step out and mentor?
09
Jul '16
The Best Part
09
Jul '16
One of the greatest ways we can honor God is by giving Him the first and best of what we receive. He doesn’t need your money, but rather it is a respectful way of acknowledging that God is Lord over your finances. A lot of our choices are driven by money and if we don’t make God a priority in our financial life, we can’t fully experience all of God. Dedicate a portion of your next paycheck to God first above other expenses.