For several days, I have seen a hand reaching down to me.  I would be running or doing my daily chores or work and I would see a very near hand reaching toward me.  I knew it was Abba.  Every time I saw it, I would reach my hand up to grab hands, but nothing really happened.  Then I ran across this verse and like lightening, I knew what God had been trying to say to me……

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  1 Peter 1:7

The moment I read those words, I felt an exchange happen between God and me.  I spoke out loud, “God, I give You all of my anxiety.”  I felt a literal weight lift off me, and I had a release I had been waiting to have happen for weeks.

We’ve been walking through some very daunting situations in several different areas of our life, and it was feeling so overwhelming that I struggled to breathe deep steady breaths like normal.  I had been looking to God for answers and council, and although He was guiding my every step and I was fully aware of that, I still felt a heaviness on me.  When it lifted, it was so powerful.

Even if you are walking near God and listening to His voice and following His direction, there are times when you simply need Him to lift a burden off you.  All of life can sometimes begin to look like heaviness.  Do you know what I mean?  Have you every experienced times when it seems like one thing after another is a challenge and you don’t know why it’s happening and a gentle and hopeful response is getting harder and harder to come by?  Please tell me I’m not alone with this.

We can never “mature” so much that we stop realizing our lifelong need for Abba.  Do you have burdens that are weighing you down today?  Then make an exchange, give Him your anxieties and He will give you His peace.  All because He cares for you.

God, today I come to You so I can exchange my anxiety for Your peace.  Lord, You know my heart, here are my worries and concerns (list your concerns here).  I know You know what I need before I even ask, so I will relax into trusting that process today.  I honor Your sovereignty in my life right now by releasing all my fears, frustrations, worries, disappointments, and misunderstandings to You in one exhaled breath.  In my next inhale I will breathe in Your peace.  Thank You.  I adore You, in Jesus name amen.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14:25-27

 

 

The last few weeks have been hard.  Things in several different areas of life feel uncertain.  Life feels shaky, and the promise is hard to see through these storms.  But then I saw it….a rainbow.  A sign that this storm will soon pass.  A sign that the promises are still just as real today as they were when they were first given.

When life gets this way it always makes me think of Abraham…… He received a promise from God and as an old man still hadn’t received it.  When his wife had already passed the age of child bearing, still no promise fulfilled.  And then God came to visit.  Not long after, the promised child came to Abraham and Sarah.  But wait!  What happened years later?  Yes, God sent Abraham out to sacrifice his only son.  The promised son.  How can this be?  We all know how the story ended though, God stopped Abraham just as he was about to sacrifice him.  Was He only looking for Abraham’s willingness?  Was He wanting to make sure that Abraham loved God more than the promise?  Nobody can really say with 100% certainty.  But in my heart, I figure it was a mixture of both, and other things that are too wonderful for me to understand.

As we live in one portion of our promise and still wait for the greater promises to occur, I am constantly aware that I can’t let my “right” to the promises exceed my love for the Father.

It’s easy to become so consumed with the storms of life that we forget to remain in childlike faith and simply put on our raincoats and boots and go play in the rain as we search the skies for rainbows.

Today, I challenge you to find your childlike faith! Go celebrate today!! No matter what is going wrong in your life, and no matter what injustice you may be experiencing, just go out and dance!! Go rejoice in the Lord, for He is good!! Put on your (metaphorical) rainboots and raincoat and grab your umbrella and go celebrate God!!  Trust Him like a child.  Most children are full of joy and find awe in the simplest things.  A child never feels concern, they are certain they will have what they need when they need it.  Imagine yourself as a child who has never known need.  As one who has only known abundance.

Come Lord!! Come and fill this day with Your Rainbows.  Teach me how to follow You without hesitation, without fear, and from a place of abundance in my heart.  Your love is abundant.  You watch over those You love, and I know You love me.  Thank You Abba.  Thank You.  Pour out deep pools of Your love over me today to wash all my cares away.  I only want to follow You.  I love You, in Jesus name amen.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Genesis 12:1-3

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless.  I will confirm my covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”  Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you:  You will be the father of many nations.  Genesis 17:1-4

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised.  Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.  Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.  When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.  Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.  Genesis 21:1-5

(For the story of Abraham being tested…..Read Genesis 22)

There was a moment, honestly there have been a few, when God has spoken to me and it directly challenged theology that I had picked up somewhere.  His own words were coming into direct conflict with what I thought was truth.  Now, in these instances I had a choice, and I remember it very well.  These were the moments when I had to decide, “Do I believe God more than I believe what I’ve been taught about God?”  I always chose God, but even when I did, I would pray, “God, please protect me from being led astray, I feel You are saying ______, but I’ve always thought ______, I trust You.  Please confirm this word to my heart and lead me down Your path.” Inevitably, every single time, I would discover a flaw in my originally held theology.  I would discover that what I was leaning on in my original thought was an idea from a man, and now God was renewing my mind with His truth.

These were very important moments in my life, and they led me from religion into relationship. These were the moments when I was to decide if my opinion about Jesus was more important than what He was saying to me.

Have you ever experienced this?  Have you ever heard God speak something to you that seemed to directly challenge a concept that you felt true about Him?  That was when God began to shine His light on the fact that, often we misinterpret things in our youth or are simply (and unintentionally) taught untrue things.  It’s a fact we need to at least be aware exists.  None of us is perfect, not a single one, so it is more than likely that at some point we will misinterpret or misunderstand God on some level.

The most important part of that is…..how will you respond?  Will you pridefully boast, “That is NOT true!  I wasn’t taught that way, so it can’t be true.”, or will you go away to your secret place and ask the Father to reveal truth to you.  Will you callously remark that whatever was spoken that didn’t align with your thinking had to be wrong because you felt a check inside, or will you go to the quiet place and say, “God, did I have a check in my spirit because that word was wrong, or was it because it hit a place in me where I have been believing a lie?”

When I first tried giving my all to Jesus, I was surrounded by people who were always saying, “That gave me a check in my spirit.”  Which isn’t a bad thing, but if you think the only reason you get that tug inside is because someone else is wrong, then you’re missing half the point.  Yes, sometimes it’s a tug inside to protect us from something untrue, but not always.  Sometimes we get a tug inside because we are being stretched in a new way.

What I’m trying to get you to see is, it’s all about relationship.  There is no blanket answer for anything, except Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven.  Most other things require a day to day relationship with the Father for us to keep growing and prevent walking in pride and a spirit of religion.

God, please reveal to me any untrue things that I have held to be true.  You are the Spirit of Truth, so I receive that Spirit right now to guide me in all things.  God, help me walk so closely with You that I begin to see lies more easily.  If my heart is drawn to a lie because of an old wound, then please heal that wound.  God, guard me from walking in pride.  Protect me from a religious spirit.  I want to be Yours completely.  I want to walk with You all my days.  Thank You for Your Presence in my life, in Jesus name, amen.

But wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  James 3:17

But He gives us more grace.  That is why Scripture says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  James 4:6

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2 

Today as I was driving alone, I realized that I was feeling really tired.   It was early in the day, but I felt a weight on me that seemed to be dragging my spirit low.  Then God spoke to me, “Lisa, if you don’t remain constantly focused on Me and what I’m doing, then the things I have put in your life as blessings, will begin to feel like weights.  Good things like your husband, kids, worship leading, etc. can weigh you down if you don’t keep remembering that it’s up to Me to work out all of the details.”

I saw myself walking and dragging a big ball and chain around with me.  Laboring with each step under the weight of it all.  Then I realized, I need to (once again) let go.  I wondered why I keep having to let go.  I didn’t even realize I was holding things again, then it struck me. I am just reaching a new level of letting go.  I haven’t picked up anything that I had previously let go, I am diving deeper into the Father and He’s showing me new depths of holding on that I was unaware existed.

You know, life’s so much easier when I realize that God isn’t upset with me.  It’s also revolutionary to me when I realize that I’m not always doing something wrong.  Does anyone else feel like that?  When God shows me something, my first response is, “What am I doing wrong? I’m sorry”.  But what I’m learning now is, it’s not about doing wrong.  It’s about growing.  I’m growing in a new area, and that’s why I’m needing a new level of release.

This past week, I have taken some new steps of deliberate obedience and pressed into new places the Father was leading me into, and as a result, He is able to show me new parts of myself.  It’s so cool that when we discover new parts of Him, we also discover new parts of our own selves.  Walking with God is such a wonder.  Every day I live close to His side is filled with awe.

Do you feel weighed down by life?  Are you feeling suffocated with responsibility?  My friend, it’s not meant to be that way.  God didn’t create you to bear His burdens.  He came to bear yours!

“Come to me”, I hear Him saying.  “Lay down your burdens and just rest in Me.”

Will you?  Will you trust Him with the details you have so firmly grasped in your hands?  I know a secret, He doesn’t need you to control things.  He’s got it all in His hands.  In fact, sometimes our well-intentioned control can hinder His hand from moving and prolong our rescue.  Let that sink in a minute.  Could it be that your choke hold on a situation has knocked away the hand of Holy Spirit?

Take some time and marinate in His Spirit today.  Let Him soften your grip on life.  Is He highlighting a particular circumstance or person whom you have in a choke hold of undue control?  If so, will you let go?  I promise it’s worth it.  Let go, and let God…..as they say.  It’s so true though.  Let go of that ball and chain that’s been holding you down.

Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.  Proverbs 12:25

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.  Proverbs 1:7

A good leader trains up leaders.  That’s a thought that has been circling through my mind every day this week.

As I observe different styles of leaders, I have determined that I will become one who trains up more leaders.  I don’t want to be so afraid of being replaced that I don’t pour out fully into those around me.  That’s selfishness.  That’s a poverty spirit.  God is a Leader Who is raising leaders.  He is unafraid of you growing in authority and boldness.  Those things actually bring Him glory!  That’s what a real leader sees.  They see that when they encourage those around them to grow in God, it will benefit them as well.

God doesn’t need to control your every movement.  He allows us to make mistakes because He knows we learn and grow from them.  A true leader is not afraid of letting those around them make mistakes either.  We are not God.  But we can hinder His work in someone’s life by trying to control them or by making them feel so afraid of making a mistake that we can’t let them follow God without our constant hovering.  And truth be told, none of us knows the “right” way to do all things……we only think we do….

God leads me to repentance through His kindness.  As a leader, it’s not necessarily my job to point out every shortcoming in those around me.  It’s more powerful to point out their strengths and give them opportunity to feel safe enough to confess their shortcomings on their own.  That’s when true repentance can take place anyway.  A person shouldn’t be led to confession just to please another person, it should be something between them and God first.  Then God will lead them to make things right with others if necessary.  If conviction first takes root in your heart, then it can bloom into lasting change.

If I walk near God, then I will find all the space I need to “become” all He has created me to become, no matter where I am or what earthly leadership I am underneath.  Never use your surroundings as an excuse to hide away and not bloom.  Rather bloom exactly where you are planted and know that if God chooses to move you to a new garden, then He will.

Bloom.

Your life is just beginning.

Bloom.

And be determined to continue blooming until your final blooming leads you straight through the gates and into the arms of the Father, where we all long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Psalm 37:5-6

If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.  Psalm 37:23-24

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’.   Matthew 25:23

The words “anemic church” ran through my mind, and so I pondered them.  Then I saw Jesus and He said, “The church is feeling anemic, it needs to return to Me for a blood transfusion.”  We need to remember the blood that paid for our sins.  The blood that covers our sickness and shame.

What does it feel like when a person is anemic?  They are weak.  Easily tired.  Worn down.  Easily frazzled.  Hmmmm.  That sounds like a lot of people I know, and even me sometimes.

God, what are You trying to show me?  What exactly are You trying to say?

I feel Him right now saying that we need to return to our first love and soak in His blood.  Read our Bibles and listen for His voice.  He was enough.  When He died on that cross, that was enough to cover every sin any person created would ever commit.  His blood was enough.  We can’t add to it.  We can’t take away from it.  It is enough.

At church our pastor recently played a video called “Jesus loves Barabbas” and it really struck me.  As the video played it spoke of how we believe the gospel, but after we are saved we often forget it.  In other words, we forget that not only was Jesus blood enough to cover our sins when we first asked Jesus into our hearts, it’s still that covering that is with us for the rest of our lives.  Even the sins we commit after salvation are covered.  No, we shouldn’t rush out to sin, but we also shouldn’t live lives gripped with fear and condemnation because we can’t live perfect lives.

I mean, when we asked Jesus into our hearts, we acknowledged that He alone was perfect and we needed His sacrifice.  Why then, would we forget that years after our salvation?

Friend, whether you’ve been saved since you were very young or have recently been saved, please remember that it was always Jesus, and still is Jesus.  You can’t sanctify yourself.

Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  Thank You for making a way for me to be in heaven with You.  Thank You for making a way for me to walk with You every day.  Thank You for releasing Holy Spirit onto the earth.  Thank You for covering all the cost of salvation for every person.  Thank You.  Help me to be continually mindful of all You did and will do.  You are enough.  Thank You.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.  1 John 1:7

And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.  Revelation 12:11

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.  Hebrews 9:14

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and He will come near to you.  James 4:7-8a

Recently, I had the thought, “I want to make fear afraid of me.”  I spoke out those words in a prayer.  “Lord, I want to be so submitted to You and resisting the enemy so much that he runs away from me.”  Scripture tells us it will happen, so why not?

I have decided to no longer be crippled, held-back, intimidated, subservient, manipulated, or bound by fear.  How about you?

Lately whenever the feeling of fear or fearful thoughts begin to lurk near me, I turn straight toward them and praise my Savior.  I actually have begun to stare down fear.  I imagine myself looking straight into fears eyes while I begin praising God and thanking Him for my many blessings.

It feels like a one two punch!  Take that!  You (fear) don’t own me.  I am a servant of God.  I am a co-heir with Christ, you have no authority in my life.

I imagine standing with my real Family. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with me in a family photo.  Yep, that puts things into a new perspective doesn’t it?

Resist the enemy, and he will flee from you.

Resist the enemy, and he will flee from you.

That’s powerful stuff, right there.  Powerful, and true.

I suggest next time you feel the chilling tendril of fear trying to worm its way across your shoulders and into your heart, you stand up and look it straight in the eyes and say, “NO! Not today!!”  and immediately begin to praise God for all He’s done and for all the wonderful blessings you have in your life.  Every life is full of blessings, some of us just don’t quite realize it yet.  If that’s you, then it’s high time you stand up and count it all joy!  Count every single blessing in your life.

Did you wake up this morning? That’s a blessing.

Did you sleep in a warm bed?  That’s a blessing.

Can you see?  Hear?  Walk?  Laugh?  Sing?  Jump?  Run?  Love?  Receive love?  Blessing after blessing.

Come on! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and take command where God said you can!

Resist the enemy , and he will flee from you.

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and He will come near to you.  James 4:7-8a

Praise the Lord!  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands.  Psalm 112:1

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.  Psalm 111:2

 

Recently I heard, “You are more than a conqueror”. Right away, I felt a surge of power and authority come over me.  Then I saw a church full of people walking as if they were down-trodden and defeated.  I asked God, “If we truly believe the Bible and truly believe in Your Son, then why are so many believers so unbelieving?”  There was no real answer from Him.  I saw things but had nothing I can tangibly write.

I feel that for so long the “church” (universal) has operated under a defeatist mentality.  It makes me sad.  It couldn’t be further from the truth of our situation, yet it remains. Some seem so afraid of abundance, they attempt to quench any voice that would suggest we are made to live abundant full lives.  Abundance doesn’t mean void of trial.  It means knowing you are more than taken care of at any given moment because of Christ.  It means that I know Who my Source is and He never runs out of a thing.  If I need courage, He has it.  If I need provision, He never runs out.  If I need protection, He is my refuge.  It’s having a Kingdom perspective of life.  It means knowing you are truly more than a conqueror.

Many of us need God to release a steadfast spirit inside of us.  You were created to be more than a conqueror, not to just get by.  You were made to worship and live a full life.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us.  Romans 8:37

Do you feel defeated?  Do you struggle to feel the freedom to win at life? Have you been yoked with a theology that glorifies lack?  Are you ready to be set free?

Today is your day.  Today you can let the truth of the gospel wash over your mind and fill in all the places where the moths of poverty have eaten away at God’s truth over your life.  He made you, yes you, to be more than a conqueror.  He made you to thrive, not just survive.  He made you to live in the abundance of His pleasure.  He made you to delight yourself in Him, that you would lack no good thing.

God, thank You for delighting in me, as I delight in You.  Thank You for being an extravagant Father Who knows all my needs and covers life with the wings of provision in every area. Thank you that I can have abundance in my family life.  Thank you that I can have abundance in my marriage relationship.  Thank You that I can have abundance in provision and ministry.  Thank You for providing more than I could ever ask or imagine.  I thank You that abundance has to do with my heart.  When You are abundant in me, even my lack feels like plenty.  I love You.  You are so faithful, in Jesus name, amen.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  Psalm 34:10

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”  Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.   2 Corinthians 9:8-11

A few years ago when I asked God for His word for our year, He spoke, “Jubilee”.  I was so excited and immediately began to see evidence that it was a very true word for that season.  But one thing that really spoke straight to my heart was God providing us a home.

The first 4-5 years we lived in Pennsylvania, our 6 member family lived in a two bedroom home with one bathroom.  It was cramped.  It was such a stretching time.  During that time we began to look for a home to purchase, but time and again, could not find what we wanted.  We searched for 2-3 years for a home.  Finally, I gave up.  I remember telling God, “I lay down my dream of owning a home here.”  That day in two different ways, He told me “No, I want you to pick that dream back up.”

So I did, but still felt like it wouldn’t happen.  Every day I woke in the old rental house, I would thank God for that home.  I would ask Him how I could move things around to create a more pleasing space there and we worked so hard to remain content.  Then one day God spoke to me and said, “Lisa, what kind of home do you want?”  Immediately, I said, “Well, You know what we need more than I do, so whatever You want us to have is what I want.”  God replied, “No, tell Me what you want.”  Again, I said, “I want whatever You want.”  Then very firmly He said, “Stop feeling guilty for having dreams and desires and tell Me what you want.”  So, I did.  I described many details that I would like to have in a home.  I poured out my hopes and dreams for a specific type of home, even though I honestly didn’t think it even existed up here.

One week later, I got an email about a home.  I clicked the link and saw it was in the exact neighborhood that Chris had dreamed of living in since he got to PA.  As I looked at picture after picture I knew it was our home.  I arranged to meet our realtor to see it and I told Chris, “Unless there is something completely terrible about this house, I want to buy it.”  That’s when he decided he wanted to see it too.

When we stepped into the home, the realtor and I stood speechless.  It was my list!  She also knew what we had truly been looking for, and she actually had stopped me from settling more than once during our journey to find “the” home.  I am forever grateful for that.  As soon as Chris and I got home from looking at the home, we called and made an offer.

The house had been on the market for 5 days when we made our offer.

It is the home God provided.

Little did we know that in a year or so after purchasing this home, we would not have work.  The crazy thing is, God provided.  One day on my way to a prayer and praise event at church, I even asked Him if we should sell our home and downsize.  I didn’t tell anyone I had prayed that, and during the prayer time our pastor said, “Lisa, I see a huge lasso around your home and it’s coming down from heaven.  God’s got your whole family and your home.”  I couldn’t believe it!  In less than an hour He miraculously confirmed we should stay where we were.

Also, during that time, whenever I would drive up our driveway I would hear, “This is your house of hope.”  Man, God is so good.  He truly delights in giving us the desires of our hearts.

This whole situation has truly brought me into a deeper love relationship with the Father.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  Matthew 6:6

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  John 10:10

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:33

Not long ago, while my husband and I were teaching Sunday school class together, he gave a great object lesson on perspective.  He placed a potted plant on the table and asked the class to surround it.  We discussed how every person was seeing it from a different angle, therefore their description of it would be varied from the person who had the opposite angle.  But was either wrong?  No, of course not.  Well, doesn’t that same lesson apply to most things in life?

We all come into things from a different background.  Even siblings who grow up in the same home have different experiences there.  It also reminds me of the Biblical example of perspective.  There are four gospels, not one, but four.  Why is that?  They were each offering a different perspective.  While the gospels are very similar, they also are very different.  But none are inaccurate.

In the world right now, and especially in America, there are so many groups fighting against each other.  It’s disheartening, to say the least, but I wonder what would happen if each group would lay down their “rights” and pride for a minute and consider another’s view based on how they grew up and what they know of God and what they’ve been through in life.  In other words, walk a mile in another’s shoes.

I imagine, no I am certain, we would all end up humbled and realizing that we are just looking at things from a different starting point, a different perspective.

Today, I challenge you to ask God to release perspective over your life. Do you have an issue that you grandstand?  Then, I challenge you to ask God to show you the heart of the opposing view.  Not necessarily so you will change your mind, but just to keep your heart soft to others.  To remember that we are all human and we all deserve grace.

Not one of us is saved by anything but God’s grace.  Shouldn’t we be quick to extend that same grace to others.  Let your heart find true compassion for others today.  I pray the Father will give you His eyes for those around you.  That you could see them how He sees them.

I pray that you will go out and love on someone today!

God, help me to love those that I find challenging.  Lord, don’t let me get so caught up in being “right” that I forget to show compassion and grace to others.  Help me to really see others.  Give me Your eyes for those around me.  Help me see the gold inside of each person I encounter.  Help my first response to not be condemnation, but love.  Help me to be a light to others.  A light that draws others to You.  I love You, in Jesus name, amen.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Philippians 2:3-4

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?  Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Matthew 5:43-48