When I saw the headline, it caught my eye: “Take a deep breath before you read this news.” So, of course, I read it. The article was about stress and my, oh my, It seems like I live in the stress capitol of America, at least according to a recent national study.  The Bay area’s stress comes from 15.5 suicides per 1,000 people, a 12.3 percent divorce rate each year, an 11.2 percent unemployment rate and an average commute time of 28.3 minutes, among other factors. Then there’s the global ranking by advertising giant JWT, which puts the United States right at the top of its  ’Anxiety Index’ with 72 percent of its people anxious about life.  That’s about on par with Egypt, which just had a revolution. By contrast, just 55 percent of Australians and 35 percent of the Chinese are anxious.

Clearly, regardless of where we reside in America, we all live in a stressed up country. Perhaps it is the materialism of our society. We work hard to catch up the Jones family down the street and just when we get there, they refinance and leave us in the materialistic dust. People seem to never be satisfied. They want more and more. Maybe they are focused on finding “things” that become more of an ego massaging collection rather than a source of true peace.

I suggest that only a dedication of a life to Christ can bring true, peace, joy and satisfaction. The Bible clearly says it is so:

• “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” Psalms 29:11
• “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:  because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3
• “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
• “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:13
• “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
• “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6
• “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.” Thessalonians 3:16

The joy of life, the means of satisfaction and the source of all peace is not found in the mall, but rather as we draw from the well of all peace, the peace which passes all understanding… the peace that comes from a living vibrant life walk that comes from knowing Jesus, the Christ in a real and personal way.

Trust him and your well will never run dry and you too will have a peace beyond all understanding.

  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2)

“That’s just heartless!”  Sometimes that’s what I think when I read the Bible, especially the book of James. Right from the very first chapter, almost the first verse, James is ruthless: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

Find joy in the face of trials, and not just joy, but pure joy? It sounds absurd. The word for trials here can mean temptation or testing. And don’t you just love the descriptor “of many kinds” after the word “trials”? Yeah, me neither.

James doesn’t stop. Near the end of his rampage, he states, “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.” James sounds a lot like his big brother Jesus in Matthew 5:10. He goes on to remind us about Job’s perseverance, and about God’s “compassion and mercy.”

James isn’t the only one who is unshakably positive when things are hard. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, tells us to “rejoice always, pray continually [and] give thanks in all circumstances.”

These guys are setting the bar high! When things are rough, shouldn’t I be entitled to sulk? I view these passages with pessimism when I’m enduring trials and doing so without a biblical mindset, without a godly worldview. If I’m walking as a true disciple, these passages make more sense. I start to think, “Oh ya. I do live in a fallen world (humanity’s fault, not God’s). And I do serve a good God (a perfectly suitable cause to rejoice). And amidst this pain, He loves me and has a plan for my life (undeserved).”

That’s when I start thinking more like a Hebrews 10:36 man. I need to persevere so that when I have done the will of God, I will receive what He has promised.

God isn’t heartless. He’s the opposite. And though trials will come and we will suffer, we must stand firm, persevere, and keep the faith. Praise God for the millions of men that already persevering. We ask God and seek to build up another generation of spiritually strong men who are willing to stand under the rain and praise God in the storms, at any cost.

God, Don’t let me forget that You are always good. No matter what.  Amen.

Question: How do you focus on God’s goodness when things get really bad?

Sometimes it is just good to slow down and take God’s word apart a little.  Here we see someone who KNEW GOD, yet they were futile in their thinking, described as “foolish” and had dark hearts. How can this be? How can those who know God find themselves in this state? The answer is clear, they did not glorify Him as God, and they were unthankful.

Every day we find ourselves faced with circumstances that place us at the intersection of choosing to be thankful or to complain. When we choose praise and thanks, the Holy spirit is right there to usher us into light, bringing revelation, joy, and peace. But if we choose complaining, the enemy is equally ready and waiting to lead us down the path of discouragement and frustration. God inhabits the praises of His people and He calls us to be in the light as He is in the light.

Choose this day whom you will serve! Come into the light through thankfulness and praise, and the glorious King will meet with you there, and reveal what you need to have victory in your circumstance.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

I haven’t really been bored in years but I came to a place where I wasn’t sure I was using my time as efficiently as I could be.

Could boredom be a gift from God? I see boredom as a gift from God in the same way that hunger, thirst, and pain are. They are indicators that something is wrong. If I am filling my life and time with meaningless activities, I find myself hungering for more.

I was born for more than my own entertainment. I was born for more than being nice and good and socializing and living a “full” life by worldly standards. The Bible says, “to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). Life is about Him. Any other way of living other than that defined by the life of Christ is simply not life.

So what should I be doing then? When I looked in the Bible to see what I should be doing with my time, it gave me endless tasks.

•  “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today…” (Hebrews 3:13) – Do you encourage people? Do you do it daily? Call someone now just to encourage them.
• “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) – These are things the Bible tells us to be doing continually, all the time, even right now.
• “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” – Matthew 7:12 – What is something other people do that makes you happy? Think of some things you like and do them for other people.
• “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19,20 – Simply spread the word. It doesn’t mean you have to force Jesus into every conversation and down everyone’s throats, but simply love and serve in ways that only Jesus did. People notice.
• “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” – Matthew 25:35,36 – Feed someone or buy them a drink, get to know the new guy and invite him over or out sometime, clothe and look after the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned. Christ considers these things you are doing for Him directly.
• “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” – Luke 9:23 – This is something Christ calls us to do daily. Today I’ve got to deny myself, die to sin and my old ways, and follow.
• “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.” – Philippians 4:8,9 – The Bible is not even silent about what we should be thinking about. What kind of things do I think about?

The Bible is full of so many more passages like these. Living the life God has outlined for us will bring a greater joy and satisfaction than we could ever hope for.

Question: Are you bored? How can you implement some of the things outlined above into your life today?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

How do you face another day? Do you look forward to it with joyful anticipation or do you think, oh no! Not another day.

Just as I have a choice as to what I’m going to wear for the day, I have a choice as to what my attitude will be. I can put on the glasses of pessimism or hope.

When we put on the glasses of pessimism, we see fear and despair, distortion, things are littered with “what ifs” and “if onlys.” But with the glasses of hope, we have faith and a pleasant perspective of the future. After all I serve a God of hope, not of despair. What a difference it makes when you put on the glasses of hope.

 Lord, You are God, my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Questions: How can you put on glasses of hope today? What can you do when faced with pessimism?

 Well, we know that the word of God is very important, but like seed without water it lies dormant until we add the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why sometimes God’s written word can seem dull and makes no sense to us. To be able to properly read and understand the word we need to realize that it is a spiritual language, and can only be understood by the Spirit. It is the Spirit who teaches us and causes the word to come to life for us, as we surrender and invite him to fill and control us (1 John 2:27).

Don’t just be satisfied with having “knowledge” about what the bible says, add the Holy Spirit and move from words to power.  A seed is just a seed until you add water – but once you do… life starts to burst forth, food, trees, babies! God’s word is seed (Luke 8:11). We need to take the seed of the word, plant it in our lives, and by the power of the Holy Spirit expect a crop of hope, joy, healing, saved loved ones, healed relationships, victory, and success. Don’t settle for just knowing God’s word, add the water of the Spirit, and expect to “experience” everything promised to us through it.

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

Are you struggling to hear from God this Christmas? Let us pray for you.

“God …through us, spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

The smell of Christmas turkey baking in the oven permeated every corner of the house. Walking in from outside the fragrance was welcoming. The smell alone created an appetite and an expectation. Did you know that you permeate the circle you live in with a fragrance? Oh, it’s not your perfume or your after shave. No, the Bible tells us, “…God …through us, spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

As you go through this special day, whether it is a flurry of activity with friends and family or a quiet day of reflection, you are taking the fragrance of Christ with you into your circle.

The celebration of the birth of Jesus is sometimes pushed to the background amid the food and gifts of the day. Yet you bring the fragrance of Him with you as you interact with those around you. You can bring acceptance and love, gentleness and kindness. You can bring an unselfish spirit and an embracing warmth. You can bring the very things His birth brought to you!

Somewhere in your circle there may be one for whom this day is difficult. Seek that person out and give away some of the love Jesus gave you. Create a hunger for Him in those around you by sharing the fragrance of Jesus.

Simply ask for His Holy Spirit to fill you today with power from Him so you can share that fragrance of His loving care. Share His gentle love today and, as the old saying goes, “if necessary, use words”.

Father God,
I want to say a special “Thank You” today for the gift of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you that knowing Him can change a life! Help me today to have a heart full of the abundance of all Jesus is, love and gentleness, acceptance and caring. Help me to be filled today with these things, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the fragrance of Christ will permeate wherever You have me today! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Question: How will you celebrate Jesus today?

As you prepare for Christmas, keep this recipe for joy close at hand.

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’” (Luke 2:10)

Jesus’ coming to earth was good news! His birth would bring joy to all people because He would reconcile them to God. Therefore, this Christmas, let us remember that Jesus came to bring joy. Not just the joy of giving and the joy of spending time with loved ones, but the joy of having our sins forgiven, the joy of a life committed to God, the joy of having a purpose on earth and an eternal home in heaven.

There are many things that steal our joy – things like selfishness, busyness, and unrealistic expectations. Even though it’s Christmas time, we can find ourselves lacking joy. If your joy seems to have been drained away, recall Jesus’ words regarding the way to joy.

“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:10, 11)

Our obedience to God and His ways is what gladdens our hearts. When we are in right relationship with Jesus, He gives us joy. King David knew that sin kept him from experiencing God’s pleasure. When he repented of his wrongdoing, he asked God to “[r]estore to me the joy of your salvation”. (Psalm 51:12)

Let Jesus bring you joy this Christmas by surrendering yourself completely to Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy I can have when I am reconciled to You. Show me any area of my life where I have not been obedient to You, that I might turn from it and walk in Your ways. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Amen.

Questions: Is this a different way for you to look at joy? If so, how has it changed your perspective? When have you experienced a restoration of joy after you confessed your sin?

Keep learning! Take the second lesson in our advent series: Emmanuel, God with us.

“For unto us a child is born …and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6 & 7)

As I re-juggled my “to do” list of Christmas preparations my thoughts bounced around the changes that have come and how Christmas will be somewhat different this year.  Changes…good changes, challenging changes, hard changes…the interesting mosaic of life. It’s different for all of us, yet we all share in that changing landscape of life. Sometimes finding joy in the changes is easy…sometimes very challenging.

As I pondered the changes in my life, and in our world, I thought about Christmas and the birth of Baby Jesus.  Sometimes that manger scene seems so irrelevant and so far removed from day to day life. Yet an old verse in the Bible brought freshness to my soul this week as I pondered how the Baby Jesus impacts my life today.  It truly gives new cause for joy. Listen…

“For unto us a child is born …and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6 & 7)

Any need you have in life and in the changing landscape of your mosaic can be answered by this Jesus.  If you need wisdom or strength He will be your Counselor; if you need a mountain moved, He is your Mighty God. If you need comfort, forgiveness and gentle healing, He is your everlasting Father; and if your heart is anxious and troubled He will be Peace to you.  Jesus….our rock and our hope! Jesus … our cause for joy!

Let your heart pause with thankfulness as you prepare for Christmas.  Look at the manger scene with the fresh wonder of all He is to you. Let joy seep into the changes of your life.  No need, no change that you face will not be encompassed by all He is so much more than just a baby! Invite Him into your changes! Let joy fill your soul.

Prayer & reflection

Heavenly Father,
Fill my heart with the fresh wonder of what that first Christmas means for me… today.  Thank you that today or in the future, any need I have can be encompassed by You, Jesus. Let joy flood into my soul as I lean on You to be my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father and my Prince of Peace!  Help me to look with expectation to what You will do in my life… and fill me with Your joy!
In Jesus name I pray, Amen

Question: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – which of the names of God do you most relate to today? Which one do you need more of in your life?

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’”
(Luke 2:18-20)

Imagine the shepherds from the first Christmas night going home and trying to get some sleep after having a visitation from angels. They had just witnessed a message from God after the 400 “silent years” without a divine announcement. There is a beautiful pattern to everything that the heavenly Father does. He gave His Christmas message about the Great Shepherd to a group of shepherds. And He sent the Lamb of God to be born amongst lambs in a manger.

Likewise Jesus talked with His disciples about joy before His crucifixion. It was important that His followers hear the key to joy that night, because the next day would be the unhappiest of their lives. Joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness depends on outward circumstances, but joy comes from within, it is unrelated to our circumstances. In John 15:11, the Lord said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Because of Jesus’ relationship with the Father, He had pure and complete joy in spite of what was to come.

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” Since it is a permanent gift from God, we cannot lose it, but we can choose to give it up by disobeying His commands. Sin squeezes the power and joy of the Holy Spirit from our life. Repentance will reopen the floodgate. Our Father created the perfect way for us to experience joy in relationship to Him. It is an offer that He makes to each one of us.