To be fully alive is not simply to drink deeply of life and to be satisfied. It’s to become a well, offering Life to the world around you. That is what it means to be fully alive. It is not only to experience a glimpse of God for yourself but also to become a glimpse of God and to create communities that are glimpses of God.
Excerpted from Spark by Jason Jaggard
Daily Reflection: In what specific way can you become a well for your family and friends?
Baseline living is not okay. Not for a believer in Jesus. There’s a price to pay for Christian complacency. If you keep living on this level, your heart is going to shrivel. It might already be shriveling. Your dreams are going to die. They may already be on life support. Will you look up one day and be overwhelmed by the stack of regrets staring back at you? The frustration that’s simmering on the back burner right now might boil over one day, and you’ll be bitter about the opportunities you missed. Opportunities to be used by God, to touch lives, to get outside yourself and be a part of something greater. I know it’s not easy. But don’t tell me it’s not possible. Jesus Himself said it was.
The fact is, we are so much better than we’ve become, [ … ]
The late Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing before the age of two due to illness, but she went on to become a world-renowned author, speaker, and social activist. This great woman said true happiness comes through “fi delity to a worthy purpose.” What does that mean? For me, it means being faithful to your gifts, growing them, sharing them, and taking joy in them. It means moving beyond the pursuit of self-satisfaction to the more mature search for meaning and fulfillment. The greatest rewards come when you give of yourself. It’s about bettering the lives of others, being part of something bigger than yourself, and making a positive difference. You don’t have to be Mother Teresa to do that. You can even be a “disabled” guy and make an impact.
Excerpted from Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic
[ … ]
How is never a problem with God. When he puts something in your heart to do, he goes to work behind the scenes to ensure that it happens. In the meantime, we are to remain faithful to him and focused on the vision. You are not responsible for figuring out how to pull off God’s vision for your life. You are responsible to do what you know to do, what you can do. And then you must wait.
Excerpted from Visioneering by Andy Stanley
Daily Reflection: Are you doing all you can do with God’s vision for your life?
You’ve never met William Joseph Weber either. Let me tell you a little bit about him. [. . .] he never knew a family or a real, permanent home. He never experienced any of the things we normally consider healthy in a “family of origin.” But somewhere along the line, William Weber found Jesus Christ. He determined to put his “confidence in God and keep His commandments” (Psalm 78:7). No, he never knew his own father. But he pursued the ultimate Father. Reading wasn’t easy for him, but he did it. Of all the books in my library today, my favorite is one of hisa worn, broken old copy of Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the New Testament. You can still find traces of his fingerprints there from the coal dust on his hands. My grandfather pursued the Father. His son, Byron, [ … ]
To most of us in the room, that seemed impossible. But Max saw the world differently. And that day, with a moral authority few can claim, he said something profound that crystallizes the restoration theme we’ve seen in the next Christians
“We must recognize the power of the ‘ought.’ It’s the power to change the world! We can’t just see the world in terms of how it is today, or we will always feel defeated,” he said passionately. “But when we see the world in terms of how things ought to be, we can dream for the impossible and work to see it become reality.”
Excerpted from The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons
Daily Reflection:I n what ways do you see the world as it is, not as it “ought to be”?
From the moment we’re born, we tend to associate love with what others do for us and the speed with which they do it. We learn to feel loved when we get our needs metquickly. Sadly, many of us carry the same childish, demanding spirit into our relationship with God. But He knows that if He indulged our insatiable desire to have instantaneous help at every juncture, we would never
grow up. Instead we’d be crippled emotionally and unable to stand, let alone walk, on our own.
Growing to maturity means learning to accept delayed gratification. Part of putting childish ways behind us, spiritually speaking, involves subduing the whiny, demanding part of our flesh that insists that, if God loves us, He must act according to our specifications, our scripts, and especially our time lines.
Excerpted from At the Feet [ … ]
In the Bible, James said that our actions, not our words, are the proof of our faith. He wrote in James 2:18, “Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’ ” I’ve heard it said that our actions are to our faith and beliefs as our bodies are to our spirits. Your body is the housing of your spirit, the evidence of its existence. In the same way, your actions are the evidence of your faith and beliefs. You have no doubt heard the term “walking the talk.” Your family, friends, teachers, bosses, coworkers, customers, and clients all expect you to act and live in alignment with the beliefs and [ … ]
Hattie covered her mouth, but the giggle escaped anyway. Boney Hughes lay under her kitchen sink, his upper body concealed by the cupboard. His legs sprawled over her linoleum flooring.
Boney scooted out from under the sink and peered up at her. ‘You think me rappin’ my old knuckles on these leaky pipes is funny?’
Unable to stifle her amusement, Hattie nodded. ‘You look like a . . .’ She fanned herself, trying to regain her composure while he stood. ‘Like a fish out of water.’
Boney’s winter-white eyebrows arched. ‘A big old river catfish?’
Giggling, she studied him from his wiry beard to his worn boots. ‘A smaller fish perhaps, but surely one with a big heart.’”
The proprietor of Miss Hattie’s boardinghouse and Mr. Boney understand the gift of a merry heart.
[ … ]
“During peacetime, pre-9/11, it wasn’t a popular decision to join the military to protect your country,” says Mark Kramer, “so my decision was sort of validated that day. Adam and I were going around trying to find coverage to call home, and he was right with me, saying, ‘Get us out therelet’s get some payback.’ Adam had this intense love for his hometown and state, which is really what patriotism is. We had both been competitive in sports, talked about the frustration of watching a game from the sideline, so we were hoping and praying that the powers that be would let us go out and do what we were trained to do.”
Kelley, just back from an early morning trip to Wal-Mart for diapers, was holding Nathan tight and watching the news when Adam finally got through.
“It’s [ … ]
