Beneath the Surface
On the surface Chuck Colson had everything but underneath his life was empty. It was only when he accepted Christ the emptiness was filled and he truly began to live.
On the surface Chuck Colson had everything but underneath his life was empty. It was only when he accepted Christ the emptiness was filled and he truly began to live.
When your life is free of bitterness you have lots of room for kindness. Which would you rather have in your life?
Some joy experienced at Christmas is seasonal. Is our joy only related to Christmas because of all the pleasant things associated with it? Or is it “all-weather” joy like the tires, good to run on all year through all seasons?
Our world has become impersonal—and we’ve become uninvolved and reluctant to serve others. And yet, it’s in helping others we find the key to a fulfilled life.
It is correct to say God wants me happy. But He doesn’t want us to value it above other things or base our happiness in superficial temporary circumstances. God built us to desire happiness but He wants us to find it in relation to Him.
Jesus has provided us a faith which frees us from the bonds of sin and frees us for the purpose of following Him. Let’s take a closer look at Paul’s exhortation that we stand firm in our freedom.
Here is the principle: We reap what we sow, forgiveness notwithstanding. Confessing our sin does not take away the consequences. However, God’s grace means God, in forgiving us, gives us the strength to endure the consequences.
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.
We were created for God and just as fish are in despair out of water so the human soul is in despair when it is outside of fellowship with God. He is the source of true fulfilment and our greatest pleasure in life is to glorify and enjoy Him forever.
Think for a moment about the people you’ve known that have made a positive difference in your life. Leaving a legacy of helping others and making a difference is something we can all do.