Peace

It’s the greatest gift in the world and it’s something you can’t buy, you can’t create, and you can’t get from anything or anyone else.

It’s peace, and it will change your entire perspective if you’ve never received it. It can make even the toughest times not seem so bad. It’s a game changer and God is waiting to share it with you. All you have to do is ask.

John 14:27
I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.

God’s peace changed my outlook on life a few years ago and has made it better as a result, through the ups and the downs, too. That’s why I’m sharing this with you. That’s why I write about my faith. It’s made all the difference in the world in my life…and to me, that’s too important not to share.

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Rest

Matthew 11
²⁸If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. ³⁰This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

Maybe you’re feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders right now, or perhaps you’re in the middle of something that is proving to be very difficult. You may be worn out either mentally or physically, or both, from carrying those heavy burdens that are mentioned above.

As a friend of mine and I discussed the other day: Being a grown-up is hard.

We all have a lot on our plates and life can get pretty stressful sometimes. Life has a lot of expectations and responsibilities and even things that are enjoyable can become part of the stress that we experience in our everyday lives.

These verses remind me that whenever things (big or small) start to build up, it’s time to look up. God will give us the rest we need. All we have to do is ask!

Have a great day.

Your Worries Can Wait

Matthew 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Did anyone raise their hand and say “I can!” in response to that question? Yeah, me neither.

Worries can overwhelm us as human beings. Life is full of stress, and decisions to be made, and priorities to sort out, and so much more.

But if we keep carrying our worries with us everywhere we go and letting them dominate our thoughts, they can run us down.

I came across this for the first time in a while and thought I’d share it here – if you’ve never read it before, it’s worth a minute of your time.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.

This part broadens it a bit…

So my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don’t pick it up again until after you’ve rested a while.

Don’t let your worries overwhelm you. Take a break from the stress, think positive, and pray often. It will all be ok, whatever it might be 🙂

Humble Yourself

Here’s some great advice for anyone in a leadership position:

Matthew 23
¹¹Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. ¹²If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

Too often as human beings we strive for titles and honors, and in the process we become conditioned to feel that those “at the top” matter most. Unfortunately, a lot of people at the top then continue this practice toward those “below” them.

If you’re a leader or someone in a position of influence over others, I encourage you to take a closer look at the verses above and see if there’s anything you can do to humble yourself in your walk of life.

Anyone can benefit from these words, though. It’s easy in life to think we have all the answers or that we know everything sometimes. Guilty as charged, right here.

I can think of a number of ways I could take these words to heart…now it’s just a matter of doing it.

Humility is not always an easy thing to practice, but it is always something that’s worth displaying in our lives.

Have a great day.

Blessed are…

Matthew 5
³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, 
   for they will be comforted. 
⁵ Blessed are the meek, 
   for they will inherit the earth. 
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
   for they will be filled. 
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, 
   for they will be shown mercy. 
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, 
   for they will see God. 
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, 
   for they will be called children of God. 
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Hopefully these words will encourage you if you are in need of encouragement right now.

Have a good day everyone.