Luke 12:22-26 says, Then Jesus said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Isn’t it fascinating that Jesus speaks of worry in the context of our money and stuff. Just as God cares for the birds, He will take care of us. We can rest in that. He will provide for our needs. We can give generously to help others in need because God says He gives generously to us.

Hebrews refers back to God’s promise, “I will NEVER fail you, never abandon you.” A lot of people may leave you. Friends may turn on you. People may walk out on you. Employers may disappoint you and even family may leave, but God doesn’t leave his people! Never! And “never” means “never.” No matter how bad you are hurting, no matter how much you’ve failed, and no matter how hard things are, God is present and He has promised to walk with us.

God has a right to take away anything that we don’t use for Him. It’s true in every area of life—use it or lose it. If you don’t exercise, you lose muscle. If you don’t use your mind, it gets dull. Now the opposite is also true. You get more of what you invest. Whatever you would like to have more of from the Lord, start giving what you’ve got to Him. If you want more energy, start using more energy for the Lord and watch it multiply. If you need more time, give the first part of your time to the Lord, and watch Him multiply your time. If you need more money, start being generous with the Lord’s work, planting seeds.... that’s how you experience Jesus’ words, “Give and it will be given to you.” Whatever you need more of, start giving away what you’ve got. If you’d like to be more talented, start using the talent that you have, no matter how little it seems to you and like a muscle it will grow and stretch and develop and get bigger and better.

What is God asking you to do today on your journey of faith? Maybe it’s to forgive someone who has hurt you. Maybe it’s to share your faith with a friend. Maybe you sense God calling you to use your gifts more intentionally or to reconcile with a family member. Maybe there’s a pull on your heart you cannot shake. Maybe you know you need to trust Him with your money and tithe back to Him. Maybe you need to confront a sin area in your life and ask for forgiveness and reach out to someone for help. Maybe you simply need to keep going, keep showing up, and don’t give up. God will show up in your life, but He often asks you to take a step of faith. To risk it. To walk into the water and pray that God will honor His word—and He does. Every time.

Even though God is working in us, and has a lot of work to do, He loves us as is. He blesses you with special favor as is. Someday you will be more than you are, but in the meantime God loves you as you are. He longs to be with you. You have a special place in His heart. That means He doesn’t just love you…He likes you. The reason is really basic, but something I forget a lot of the time: it’s because He made you, and God always makes things of high value. He has filled you full of His potential.

Everyone needs a close group of friends who share their faith. Everyone needs at least a few people in their life to encourage them and care for them. When you step up to community, that’s a win. You start to see God moving in your life. You start to see all of the things promised in scripture take shape in real lives. You start to see that faith is not just one hour in church, but it’s a brand new life that grows within you. That doesn’t happen without other people.

It is through Jesus that we can see what God is like, what God cares about, and what He expects from us as His people. Regardless of what others may think about God, through the Bible, we see a God who is unconditionally loving and who has our best interest at heart. We see a God who is radically forgiving and is committed to our redemption. We see a God who is sacrificially gracious and is ultimately FOR US! 

In order to be kind, we have to let go of the past. If you keep bringing up the horrible things the other person in your relationship has said or done in the past, you aren’t acting in love…because love keeps no record of wrongs. You may not be able to forget what they did, but you can stop bringing it up. You can stop using it to shame them into changing. It’s never going to work and kindness is far more effective at getting people to change. Instead of treating people how they used to be, treat them how you believe they can be. People often live up to our beliefs about them. If you believe a child can succeed then they rise up to that. If you respect a man then he rises up to meet that respect you give him. If you treat your wife like she is the woman of your dreams she will often become the woman of your dreams. Let go of the past and grab onto the future.

Check out Proverbs 11:25 (NLT) “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” We want to prosper. We want God to bless us. We want to be refreshed. The Bible says there is a way this can happen. If you are generous, not stingy and you refresh others, then God himself will refresh you. God will bring that blessing back to you in His own way in your life. This is not just a promise about money; it’s a principle about life. Refreshing others leads to your own refreshment.

The problem with the chasing happiness is that no matter how much you see it, talk about it, or reach for it…it always feels like what you get is a far cry from what you hoped for. It's not enough good and way too much bad. But here's what we love about the Bible. Its basic plot is the how the God of the universe is trying to give us happiness. We are the main characters in the greatest story ever told. God can meet you right where you are and grow the happiness within you. He wants to bless you to be a blessing to others. Remember, the happiness isn’t something that happens to you; it’s something God does in you and through you. 

Any bad experience can color the way you think about certain people, foods, or experiences. When expectations fall short, we expect everything to fall short. All you see is what’s wrong or what could go wrong. Our negative attitudes are really just a bad habit of unhappiness. Instead, hang onto this principal: happiness holds onto what’s right, even when things feel wrong. This is a powerful shift in your attitude that can radically alter your life.

When you fix what’s happening on the inside, you experience life differently on the outside. If you focus on things that are excellent and praiseworthy, your happiness level improves by spiraling up. But if you focus on the opposite, things that aren’t excellent and things that are worthy of criticism, your happiness level declines by spiraling down. Here is the surprising reality: life really does go better for people who choose a positive attitude. This week, choose a positive attitude and see how your happiness level improves!

The very first thing we need to do to start being wise is to fear and respect God. To say, “I believe God knows more about life than I do.” When you accept His wisdom, it helps you to live well. I did a quick study in Proverbs of all the things Wisdom promises to do for people. Wisdom makes the simple minded clever. It gives knowledge and purpose to the young. It helps you avoid traps that want to steal your life. It helps you avoid disaster. It enables you to understand what is right, just and fair and to find the right course of action every time. Wisdom will fill you with joy. It will make you safe. It will watch over you. It will give you a long and satisfying life. It will bring you honor and respect. It will guide you down delightful paths. It will make you happy. It will give you rest. It will open you up to God’s favor. It will multiply your days and add years to your life. That’s a pretty good list!

A while back I saw this post on the Humans of New York Instagram feed. They take photos of random people they see on the streets of New York and post their stories. One particular couple’s story really moved me, and it is the power of what this Proverbs 3:9-10 talks about, “radical loyalty.” She says, “I’ve been having nerve issues, and this past year it’s gotten so bad that it hurts too much for me to walk. It was completely unexpected. I’ve always been such an optimistic person, but now I’m fighting with depression. He’s doing everything he can to take my mind off of it. We’re not sure if I’m going to get better, but he’s planning a backpacking tour through Europe for when I do. And I told him that I didn’t think I could handle a visit to New York right now, but he told me that he’d push me around the whole city. And he has. And whenever I feel particularly down, he tells me that he’s not going anywhere, and how happy he is that he married me. Not long ago I had a particularly rough period, and when I was at one of my lowest moments, he asked if we could renew our vows.” That is so beautiful and powerful. I want to strive to be that kind of friend, that kind of dad, and that kind of pastor—loyal to the end, committed to others and faithful. I can’t do much about my outside features—hair, nose, skin or teeth—but I can commit myself to being a faithful friend and Proverbs says that is powerful.

We need to grow our gratitude and thank God for whatever He provides, no matter how He provides it. Study after study shows that when you get intentional about gratitude your life gets better in every measurable way. One study even showed that just the act of smiling can improve your mood. The more you smile, the more you thank God, and the more you emphasize the positive then the more able you are to handle troubles in a way that preserves your enjoyment of life. You will face troubles but your heart will be less and less troubled.

You don’t need to seek answers you don’t have to your problems; you need to seek God’s presence. Seek His strength. Seek His goodness. Seek His wisdom. Seek His power. Seek His forgiveness. Seek His provision. Seek His direction. Seek His love. Seek His comfort. Seek His people. Seek His word. Seek His ways and seek His life. Trust God to be God. Choose Him as your provider. Choose Him as your protector and your promoter. Lay the heavy stuff on His shoulders and concern yourself with the God who knows your needs. Make this a habit and soon life will start to feel less heavy. Some complicated things will get simpler. Life will get more joyful. You will still face troubles, but your heart will be less and less troubled because the peace that is from beyond this world settles in your heart and in your mind. No matter what you might face in the future, it’s okay, because God will meet you there.

You can approach spiritual training by focusing on small changes over time. You don’t have to read and understand the whole Bible. You don’t need a degree or special training. You can just read a little each day. God says, ‘My word will not return void.’ That means that no matter how much you read, or how much you understand, His words will produce benefits eventually. You just have to stick with it. It’s called the living word. It will reach out and change your life whether you want it to or not! A simple way to start is by grabbing a Bible or downloading the Bible App. Go to Proverbs. There are 31 chapters filled with short statements of wisdom. So look at the date. If it’s the 8th, go to chapter 8 and read one or two sentences of wisdom. Pretend they are text messages from God. Shorter than a tweet. It’s small. It’s quick. You may not feel anything. You may not totally understand, but small changes over time add up to big gains. Make it a habit. Train wisely rather than try harder.

You are not a number on a scale, you are not clothing size, and you are not all of those harsh words others have called you; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You are not simply what you see in the mirror, what you like least about your appearance, or your complexion; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You aren’t your wrinkles or your acne or your thin hair or thick hair or curly hair or gray hair or lack of hair; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You are not your credit report or your bank account or your retirement account; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You aren’t what your friends or enemies or co-workers may say you are; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You are not your physical health problem, you are not your ailment, and you are not your limitation; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You are not simply your breakup, your divorce, or your strained relationship; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You are not your worst sin, your biggest mistake, or your blowout failure; you are the temple of God’s spirit. You are not simply the size of jeans you fit in, the shape of your abs, or whether someone else finds you attractive; you are the temple of God’s spirit!

Check out Psalm 37:23–24 (NLT): “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” If we open our hearts to God and follow Him, then He will direct our steps. He delights in our lives. We may stumble but He will keep us from falling. He holds us by the hand. My prayer this year is that we have a soft heart, a compassionate heart, and a heart that puts God and people above tasks and initiatives. A heart that is God oriented more than just goal oriented. 

Sometimes we’re tempted to get things fixed in our lives before we welcome Jesus in. That’s not how it works. You don’t get your life squared up before asking Jesus in. Asking Jesus in is HOW you get your life cleaned up. You say, “I need to make things right with my kids, my ex, my wife, my husband my parents, my brother, my sister, and THEN I can do the Jesus thing”. No, Jesus is the one that will give you the strength to make things right with those other people. You may say, “I can’t come to Jesus until I get this addiction under control, until I stop doing these things I hate, or until I can be a little more worthy”. Instead, invite Jesus in today, because He is the one that can save you from your addiction, help you with your behavior, and transform your character. Your heart doesn’t need to be perfect for Him to come in—He brings the perfect with Him. Don’t hide the mess, deny the mess, downplay the mess, avoid the mess or try to fix the mess on your own. Invite Jesus in to bless the mess. To transform the mess.