Starting is always easier than finishing, which is why follow through is a reflection of character. Besides, God doesn't quit on us, so why should we give up when the going gets tough?
Each of us seems to be born thirsty for the things we do not have. Advertisements catch our eye. New cars turn our heads. Can we ever reverse the trend?
Horizontal grace is our giving to God and to others. We don’t do it to reciprocate but simply because where there is grace there must be giving.
True giving means giving to God with no expectation of return. It’s a mark of real faith, because though we are giving to a visible person or organization, we are doing it in a way that signals our mind and heart is surrendered to an invisible God.
Horizontal grace is our giving to God and to others. We don’t do it to reciprocate but simply because where there is grace there must be giving.
Unless we view Bethlehem from the perspective of the cross, most of what we sing and celebrate at Christmas amounts to glorying in the cradle, not the cross.
When a baby comes into our lives as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, or sisters, we rejoice in the magnificence of God’s gift of life. But how much more did the family rejoice in wonderment when the child was Emmanuel, God with us? When God took on human flesh at the birth of Jesus, He brought a wonder to the world that had yet to be seen.
“Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, not under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). “Cheerful” in Greek actually translated “hilarious.” God loves a hilarious giver—you give because you want to laugh out loud, because your heart is light.
Linking the two natures together in one personality, housed in one unique body, the God man Jesus was born. No less deity, no less humanity, in one person, in one body, forever.
If you want to have a great year, focus on these five things: contentment, trust in God, self-acceptance, forgiveness, and setting realistic goals.
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