Remain Steadfast

Here we are in a day when so many people are quitting. It's sometimes difficult to look around and be encouraged as a believer because the order of the day for so many is to quit what they once held dear. Whether it be walking in purity, being faithful to the House of God, studying the Bible diligently, praying passionately or simply believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, the enemy has effectively caused many believers to drop their hands and give up the fight. The scary thing for many people is that they don't even know they've given up the fight, they just have a list of justifications as to why they stopped doing what was once so important. My simple encouragement for you this week is to never stop, never quit and to remain steadfast in the things that God has called you to do. Whether it's one of the things I listed earlier, or something more specific such as a ministry you know that He's called you to, don't quit. Father God has never quit anything and we are made in His image so let's be like our Daddy and stay the course in all we do. There will be days when it's not as exciting, it looks more fun to do something other than what you're destined to do, it's painful and difficult, or you simply don't want to. It's in those moments where I remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 15. He encouraged them about the victory over death that had been given to us as believers through the work of Jesus Christ, and then he went on to drop the Holy Ghost bomb on them in the final verse of the chapter:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:58 - NKJV)

What an incredibly summative statement on how we should walk out our lives in faith and purpose. Be immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord, being certain that YOUR labor is NOT in vain! We serve such an awesome Father and Creator that our response should be to emulate Him by being consistent, unwavering, unchanging and faithful to what He has called and enabled us to do.

I'll leave you with the words of my middle school track coach, James Calvin Moore, who was a faithful man of God who went on to Heaven a few years ago. One day at a practice when we were all tired and not in the mood to work out, he looked us all in the eye and said words that I will never forget: "If you only work hard on the days you feel good, you'll never make any progress." Those words have been with me throughout my life as a prophetic reminder to remain committed to the things that God sets before me to do. In light of that, I pass those words on to you today in the hopes that you too will lay hold of the grace of God to remain steadfast in Him.

Have a great, prosperous and blessed week in all you do!

Thankfulness

It's hard to believe that seven years have gone by since our nation was devastated by the 9/11 attacks, but it's true. It seems like yesterday when you consider the images of destruction, crying loved ones, grieving friends and a nation brought to it's knees by tragedy. So much happened so quickly and so many people were gone from this life in a matter of moments. In light of that reality, I just wanted to take some time to remind us all to be thankful.

It can be so easy to get caught up in the cares of life and the difficulties that we all face, but nothing can make you stop and think about what you have to be thankful for like the reality that you could be gone from this earth in an instant. Many of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack of 2001 didn't have a chance to look at their lives and be thankful that they had family, freedom, a well-paying job, an opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus Christ in a free nation, and so many other things. In just a few short moments, it was all gone. Let's be people who don't need tragedy to cause us to fall to our knees and thank God or cry out to Him. Let's remain in that place continually.

Remember what King David said in Psalm 34:1 - 'I will bless the lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.' So whether it's good or bad, let's bless His name. Whether we're happy or sad, let's bless His name. Whether we're rich or poor, let's bless His name. Whether the day went well or it was just plain horrible, let's bless His name. He is our unchanging and faithful Father who never leaves us, or forsakes us. He causes His face to shine on us and when others might turn away from you, He never will; any turning away is always on our part. So in light of these things, let's never let a moment go by that we're not thankful for who Father God is, what He's done, and what He's going to continue to do in your life.

Until next time, have a day full of thankfulness to our Heavenly Daddy!!