Right Relationships

What does God want from you and me? Does God want us to think the right thoughts or to do the right things? Of course. But above all God wants us to be involved in right relationships. When the Bible says, “God is love,” it is saying that God is a relationship. Love has no value or meaning in a vacuum. Right relationships are not produced by right thoughts or right actions. Just the opposite. Right thoughts and right actions are produced by right relationships.

Excerpted from Real Church in a Social Network World by Leonard Sweet

---

Daily Reflection:
What changes do you need to make in your relationships (with others and with God) to create relationships that foster the right actions and thoughts?

God Wants to Use You

There was the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:27–34. God could have reached him without human help. Instead, He allowed Paul and Silas to be incarcerated in his jail. From these two prisoners, the jailer heard the gospel, and he and his family came to faith. I think also of Cornelius in Acts 10, a centurion searching for God. An angel told him he needed to meet someone named Simon Peter, and the angel explained where to find him. Interesting. The angel could have given him the gospel. Instead God chose to use Simon Peter. And what about Saul (later the apostle Paul) in Acts 9? While it’s true he was converted through an encounter with Christ Himself on the Damascus Road, God sent Ananias to confirm this with Saul and to pray for him to receive the power of the [ … ]

A Life of Joy and Energy

Jesus did not endure his days on earth out of a sense of obligation. His life was characterized by joy and energy; it was spent in relationship with others. Today, too many Christians line up to follow God out of duty or guilt, or even hoping to win a ticket to heaven. They completely miss the warmth and richness of the experience of living with God. They fail to pick up the aroma of what God is doing in their part of town.

Here’s the truth: God has set up shop where you live. The doors are open and the coffee is brewing. God is serving the refreshing antidote to the conventional, unsatisfying, arms-length spiritual life—and God invites you in. God won’t make you stand in line.

Excerpted from The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet

---

[ … ]

Zeal for Good

Sometimes you’ve got to be zealous for what is good and not worry about the outcome. When I go out on a limb, I ask myself, “What is the worst thing that could happen here?” Usually, it’s not that bad. It’s things like, “I’ll be embarrassed”—well, that’s nothing new. Or, “I’ll lose their friendship”—risky, but many times by taking a stance you earn their respect and strengthen your friendship.

Then, I consider, “What is the best thing that could happen if I do this zealous, good thing?” Lives could be improved, hearts could be changed—it could be incredible!

Excerpted from Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs

---

Daily Reflection:
What zealous passion is God calling you to act on?

Dealing with Anxiety

When anxiety strikes and blurs our vision of God’s glory and the great­ness of the future that he plans for us, this does not mean that we are faith­less, or that we will not make it to heaven. It means our faith is being attacked. At first blow, our belief in God’s promises may sputter and swerve. But whether we stay on track and make it to the finish line depends on whether, by grace, we set in motion a process of resistance—whether we fight back against the unbelief of anxiety.

[. . .] Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Notice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible [ … ]

Faith to Action

My physical challenges are easy to see, yet people only have to talk to me or hear me speak for a few minutes to understand how much joy I have in spite of that. So they often ask me how I stay positive and where I find the strength to overcome my disabilities. My answer, always, is, “I pray for God’s help, and then I put my faith in action.” I have faith. I believe in certain things that I have no tangible proof of—things I cannot see, taste, touch, smell, or hear. Most of all, I have faith in God. Though I can’t see or touch Him, I believe He created me for a purpose, and I believe that when I put my faith and my beliefs into action, I put myself in a position for God’s blessings.

Excerpted [ … ]

Your Will or His?

When I ask SWC’s [strong-willed children] who are dedicated Christians what motivated them to surrender their lives to God, I get one consistent answer: We are motivated by the relationship God offers us, not by the punishment we can avoid. In other words, it doesn’t
work to tell us that unless we surrender to God, we will face eternal damnation or hell.

[. . .] God wants each of us to come to Him and to serve Him in a way that enhances the very personality He created within us.

Excerpted from You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded) by Cynthia Tobias

---

Daily Reflection:
In what ways has your own strong will prevented you from surrendering to God’s will?

Christ’s Love and Romantic Love

This is what “love” meant for me: I was on the lookout for a person from whom I would find fulfillment. And I thought fulfillment would arrive in terms of attraction, emotional connection, and long-term compatibility, among other criteria, including but not limited to: green eyes, a shapely face, talent, and a sparkling personality. She would need to like music, but not the wrong type; be smart, but not the wrong type of smart, and so forth. Love meant finding someone with the right attributes and ticking off the ol’ checklist.

This was not the same as Christ’s love. Christ’s love had little to do with my checklist and seemed to focus more on the poor, the weak, and the people least likely to be wanted. Christ didn’t say spouse checklists were wrong, but He did love a lot [ … ]

The Power of Connection

In a world torn apart by divorce and emotional detachment, we need heaven-breathed friendships and strategic relationships in order to train and protect each other’s children. To realize the rescue of the lost and at-risk children of our world, heaven-breathed strategies and answers will need to be implemented. No one is an island. We are in this together. Because of this dynamic, what you do has the power to affect me, and what I do has the power to affect you. With coordinated efforts we have a chance to turn the tide in our homes, churches, and communities. We live in a time when there is great opportunity for social networking. It is up to us to decide if we will use these connections for good.

Excerpted from Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere

---

Daily Reflection:
How [ … ]

Your Child’s Doubts

When your SWC [Strong Willed Child] has doubts about what you believe and taught him all his life, it’s usually best to meet the issues head-on and face the questions honestly. You don’t need to provide all the answers, but your relationship will be strengthened if you empathize with his need to find them. He doesn’t want to feel he’s doing something horribly wrong if he expresses doubts about what he believes. You can be an understanding guide, provide the Bible as a guidebook, and help your SWC enjoy the journey of discovering who he will be and what he will stand for.

Excerpted from You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded) by Cynthia Tobias

---

Daily Reflection:
How else can you encourage your Strong Willed Child to come to you with doubts and grow in [ … ]