The tiny wrinkles around my eyes seemed to appear almost overnight. One day I was very aware of them and knew I had better get that eye cream I was hearing about. I’d better try the “triple action”! I was amazed at the results…and in such a short time! This was good.

The waistband on my jeans felt tight. Could it be those wonderful cappuccinos I was regularly enjoying? I was amazed at the results…and in such a short time! This was not good.

I didn’t like the sand paper edge that seemed to spring up between my teen and I. I asked the Lord for patience and grace to bit my tongue. I was amazed at the results…and in such a short time! This was good.

Little decisions are peppered throughout the day. Little changes push the edge of results to the negative or the positive.

It’s the same in your spiritual journey. Little changes…conscious little choices that push your walk with God in one direction or another. Little choices to let God in or to hold Him at a distance. Little choices of attitude; little choices of purity in thoughts or choices of entertainment. Little choices. Invite Him into them. You will be amazed at the results… and in such a short time!

“Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me”. Psalm 51:10

This New Years don’t make grand resolutions that will fade in a few short weeks. Choose daily to let God be a part of the little choices…choose to be amazed…and in such a short time!

Prayer & reflection

Heavenly Father,
Thank you that You can create what is right and good in this heart of mine that often struggles with the little daily choices. Thank you that I can count on You to renew a right attitude within me. I am not making grand New Year’s resolutions that will fade, but I am asking You to help me make the right daily choices in the little things of life. I want to be changed in this New Year. I want to reflect Your patience to my family; I want to turn away from entertainment that reflects the opposite of what you desire for me. I want You to renew right attitudes in me daily. Amaze me with the results, Father, as You guide me in the small things of my day. Thank you that I can face this New Year with freshness and anticipation because you are holding my hand! You will help me in the little things of my life. For this I give You my praise!
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Question: How do you guard against the little things?

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4, NLV)

God has created each one of us with this inner desire to be filled by Him but we often choose to allow other things to fill that hole in our life.  Recently, I had come to acknowledge that I had a substitute god in my life.

Substitute gods take. They take your time, energy, thoughts, money, focus, and purpose. If they give it’s only temporary and then it leaves you needing and wanting more.  That’s what this god was doing in my life.  I was bowing down to this god and was worshiping and accepting it as lord of my life.

Through the study of God’s Word, He has shown me that I need His sorrow for my sin and His repentance.  I now know that this area of my life is sin – before I called this everything else but that and by not confessing my sin and relinquishing this area in my life I have experienced frustration, anger and defeat.

Joel 2:12-13 (NLV) says,  “That is why the LORD says, ‘Turn to me now, while there is time.  Give me your hearts.  Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  He is eager to relent and not punish.’”

Praise God that He loves us in spite of our failures! Each day I am experiencing His amazing grace as I continue to give this issue in my life to Him and accept His forgiveness.

I’m here to tell you, it’s not worth it to hold on – sin only brings shame, sorrow, frustration and guilt. God is ready and waiting to release you from the bonds of your sin and to set you free!  There is so much joy and freedom and He is patiently waiting.

So trade in that substitute god for the REAL ONE – it’ll be the best decision you’ll ever make!

Questions: Do you have a substitute god in your life? Is there an area in your life that you have been unwilling to relinquish and submit to God?

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” Romans 8:6, KJV

I believe the truth of this verse may speak to a common cause of depression among Christians who allow their minds to dwell on ungodly thoughts and/or over-introspection.

Paul writes: “I advise you to obey only the Holy Spirit’s instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won’t always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to. For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do, and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has His way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires” (Galatians 5:16,17).

Our minds are susceptible to the influence of our old sin- nature and, as such, can pose real dangers to us. As soon as we get out of step with the Holy Spirit and get our focus off the Lord, our minds begin to give us trouble.

“The Christian life is really simple,” I heard a pastor say recently. “It’s simply doing what we’re told to do.” And he is right. We will be spiritually minded, not carnally minded, if we obey the simple commands of God’s Word.

Bible Reading: Romans 8:5-11

Today’s Action Point: Through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I will give the spiritual mind priority over the carnal mind in my life.

How do I live in God’s presence? How do I detect his unseen hand on my shoulder and his inaudible voice in my ear? A sheep grows familiar with the voice of the shepherd. How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are a few ideas:

Give God your waking thoughts. Before you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into his presence. I have a friend who makes it a habit to roll out of his bed onto his knees and begin his day in prayer. Personally, I don’t get that far. With my head still on the pillow and my eyes still closed, I offer God the first seconds of my day. The prayer is not lengthy and far from formal. Depending on how much sleep I got, it may not even be intelligible. Often it’s nothing more than “Thank you for a night’s rest. I belong to you today.”

Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend time with him in silence. The mature married couple has learned the treasure of shared silence; they don’t need to fill the air with constant chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try being silent with God. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Awareness of God is a fruit of stillness before God.

Give God your whispering thoughts. Through the centuries Christians have learned the value of brief sentence prayers, prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any setting.

Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as “Thank you, Father,” “Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord,” “You are my resting place, Jesus” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts.

And last, give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God. Thank him for the good parts. Question him about the hard parts. Seek his mercy. Seek his strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance in the promise: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). If you fall asleep as you pray, don’t worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.

From Just Like Jesus
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 1998, 2001) Max Lucado
Used by permission

Questions: Have you given all you have over to God lately? What have you been holding back?

How important is control to you? What about self-control? Take this online study.

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

“They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?.’” (Ex. 14:11)

I tend to be a planner, planning as much as I can as far ahead as I can and getting irritated with anything that gets in the way. So it was only natural recently when I was planning a trip that after getting my airline ticket on-line, I mapped out the ground plan.

I was flying into a major city airport at afternoon rush hour. I didn’t want to take the time and expense of a cab ride, so I checked the train schedule and found out I could get on at the airport and off near my hotel. The distance from the train station to the hotel was less than a mile straight down a well traveled road and then three blocks on another street. I decided I could walk and get some evening exercise.

Initially, all went as planned. I walked past three perfectly good waiting cabs and proceeded down the road. It was dark by then, but the sidewalks were wide and the lighting good. Then, about a half mile into it, the sidewalks ceased, as did the lighting.

It was then I realized I had to walk under an Interstate highway. There I was, walking on the highway in the dark, wearing a dark suit, pulling my luggage and wondering how many pair of eyes were looking at me from the underbrush. Would I get run over or mugged? At least I had voted before I left.

The road forked and I went the wrong way. Finally, after walking a couple of miles in a circuitous route, I found my hotel and wondered if those cabs were still waiting at the train station. It had looked so easy and short on the map.

When our children were small, we would use each trip as a geography lesson and show them our journey on a map. It looked so short. Maybe that’s why about an hour into the trip they would ask, “Daddy are we there yet?”

The map of life is like that. Our plans look so easy on paper, but walking out life’s journeys is quite another story. Look at the journey out of Egypt when the people asked Moses if he brought them into the desert to die.

The key is that we have a map and in order to use it, we have to have a specific destination. If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.

I’m amazed that so often when I think I know where I’m going God shows me I’m absolutely wrong. Certainly I do wander off of the path every once in a while, but God brings me back to that path again and again. He is faithful in doing this no matter how far I stray.

As long as God’s will is your destination, He will provide the map to get you there, so follow His map for your life and enjoy the journey.

Questions: How do you respond when your plans don’t work out?  What steps can you take to become more dependent on God?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Check your compass

About the Author John Grant

Do you regret having an abortion? Need someone to pray for you?

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

She was elderly and very sweet. I was intrigued with the way she never asked, “How are you?” No, she would look you in the eye and ask, “So, what’s alive in you today?”

It’s a good question. It’s something to think on. Pause right now and ask yourself, “Where did I feel most alive today, most hopeful, most near God?”

Also ask, “Where did I feel most lifeless, most despairing and farthest from God?

Be a better steward of your memory and let it work for you as you review your day. Let it propel you onward in the good things of life.

When we pause to examine our moments of life and lifelessness in the course of a day, we can track the wind of God’s Spirit in our lives. We can train the rhythm of our hearts.

Quiet yourself and reflect on your day. When were you most alive? Most empty? What was going on in that moment?  Allow God to use your memory to draw you on. Press on to all God has for you. Allow recall to train your restlessness in the direction God wants you to go.

So far today, can you define the moment you felt most alive? Ask God to sharpen your thoughts so you can grow in the good plans He has for your life today.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NLT).

Father God,
Thank you that Your plan for me is to be fully alive. Help me to be aware of my thoughts and to allow you to change my thinking as I draw near to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspired by Mark Buchanan’s book, “The Rest of God” chapter 15.

Questions: Reflect on your day today and ask yourself when did you feel most alive? When did you feel empty in your soul? Why?

About the Author Gail Rodgers

It is important to recognize that God dwells in a different realm. He occupies another dimension. “My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8–9).

Make special note of the word like. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are they even like ours. We aren’t even in the same neighborhood. We’re thinking, Preserve the body; he’s thinking, Save the soul. We dream of a pay raise. He dreams of raising the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace. “I’m going to live before I die,” we resolve. “Die so you can live,” he instructs. We love what rusts. He loves what endures. We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions.

Our thoughts are not like God’s thoughts. Our ways are not like his ways. He has a different agenda. He dwells in a different dimension. He lives on another plane.

What controls you doesn’t control him. What troubles you doesn’t trouble him. What fatigues you doesn’t fatigue him. Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No, he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not; he plunges beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it.

How much more is God able to soar above, plunge beneath, and step over the troubles of the earth! “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (see Matt. 19:26). Our questions betray our lack of understanding:

How can God be everywhere at one time? (Who says God is bound by a body?)

How can God hear all the prayers that come to him? (Perhaps his ears are different from yours.)

How can God be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? (Could it be that heaven has a different set of physics than earth?)

How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction, and our prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow. Look up and see what God has done, and watch how your prayers are energized.

This knowledge gives us confidence as we face the uncertain future. We know that he is in control of the universe, and so we can rest secure. But important also is the knowledge that this God in heaven has chosen to bend near toward earth to see our sorrow and hear our prayers. He is not so far above us that he is not touched by our tears.

Though we may not be able to see his purpose or his plan, the Lord of heaven is on his throne and in firm control of the universe and our lives. So we entrust him with our future. We entrust him with our very lives.

Question: Which question about God concerns you the most? Why?

About the Author: Max Lucado

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

“Speed Kills.” Or so says the billboard to encourage drivers to slow down. Thousand are killed every year on the nation’s highways due to excessive speed. But as I drove along and thought about the billboard message, I thought how speed can kill the body, but slowness can kill the soul.

Perhaps there is no more dangerous time for our spiritual life than when our brain is coasting, idling or in neutral. It is like going to sleep at night with the door unlocked. There is no telling what will sneak in and harm us.

Our most vulnerable moments are the unguarded ones, not the ones where we are focused on a mission and going ninety miles an hour with gusts to a hundred and twenty. What I think about in my unguarded moments reflects what my mind dwells upon and ultimately decides what kind of person I become.

I need to discipline and exercise my mind just as I do my body. If I fill my body with garbage then it turns to garbage. My mind is no different. What I dwell on in those neutral moments is a good gauge of what is in my heart. I need to be cautious and what I allow in my mind. The best way to exercise and guard my mind is to contemplate those things that are pure, lovely and of good repute.

I should not allow the world to fill my mind with ungodly thinking and focusing on the “things” of this world. The best way to keep the evil one and his devices from entering my mind is to guard its door with scripture and prayer and by focusing on that which is true, noble, just, pure, lovely and good.

The things I allow my mind to focus on will determine the way I live and if I focus on the evils and temptations of this world, I take down my guard and can be led into sin like a sheep to slaughter. If I fill my mind with the things of Christ, then I will become Christ like and if I fill my mind with the evils of this world then I become like the rest of the world.

Beware of neutral…. It’s a killer!

Lord, I know that whatever I fill my mind with is a matter of choice, my choice.  Please help me to be aware of those times when I am vulnerable and help me to guard my mind. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Question: How is a person’s physical life (how they take care of their body) analogous to their spiritual life?

About this Author: John Grant

[Jesus] called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Change is necessary, and change is good! It was the main message of President Obama’s election campaign. “Change we can believe in” and “Yes we can” were two of the slogans seen on signs everywhere. For many people the exact nature of the change didn’t mater; anything seemed better than keeping the status quo. What is new is good.

C. S. Lewis, in his pseudo-autobiography Surpised by Joy, coined a term for this sort of thinking — “chronological snobbery”. This fallacious way of thinking says that everything new is good and what is old is outdated, ignoble, and less preferable to the new and exciting ways. I think partially this is due to the rapid pace of technological advances, where new almost always equals better. But the same isn’t true for many other areas of our lives.

To be God’s agent of change, we must often eschew what is new and exciting, and return instead to what is ancient and sacrosanct. The apostle Paul told us “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2, TNIV) The change that we often need to make is, as Jesus said, to become as innocent and trusting as little children, as we return to God’s ways and providence instead of the way of the world and dependence on material things.

Often such changes begin with a tiny step of faith in the right direction. In his article Step, Shaun Smith explores the meaning of real change versus mere optimism. If you have been contemplating or actively pursuing godly changes in your life, check out the article (written for a non-Christian audience), and let us know about your successes and struggles in the comments here on this blog.

If you would like to talk to someone who is a patient listener and can walk along with you as you strive in God’s power towards holiness and godly change, contact an online mentor today to talk via email!

She was talking about how tempting it can be to try an alter another person’s behavior to get them to change what we see as a bad habit.  But time again June would remind me that I cannot control another person’s actions I can only control my own.  I have the choice in how I will react to another person’s behavior, and whether or not I want to be around them.  But I can only change myself.

It’s quite a freeing thought.  As another wise woman often tells me,  I am not responsible for another person’s thoughts, feelings or actions. It sounds so obvious but I catch myself sometimes acting as though the reverse were true.  I don’t stand up for myself because I worry that the other person will be angry.  I stay silent when I should speak because I think about what the other person will think.  I need to be kind, I need to be generous and thoughtful, but I am not responsible for how another person chooses to act.  I am only responsible for my own response.

The desire to want more, to be better, is universal and common. And it’s very tempting to try and change the world by changing others.  But the truth is much simpler.  I can change the world, but I do it by changing myself first.

In his article, “Step” Shaun Smith writes:

We all want the world around us to change for the better. Sometimes our desire for change comes close to breaking our hearts. We see brokenness in our world and we cry out for change. We see babies dying, teenagers losing hope, injustice and unfairness. We desperately want change. The problem is, we don’t know where to begin.

It was Gandhi who implored us to “be the change you wish to see in the world”.  It’s ancient advice, but still excellent advice. Change has to start with me.  Read “Step” to see how you can change the world by changing yourself first.