That you may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:2b

 If you’ve been a parent for any amount of time, you know that raising a child can be stressful. From birth until they become grown adults, everything they do or say influences your emotions. Peace can be fleeting, especially when they are infants and teenagers. Over time you begin to “pick your battles” to help maintain peace in your life and the household. You realize that the things you used to argue with them over is insignificant in the big scheme of things. If you’ve raised a child into adulthood, congratulations!

 As children of God, it can be difficult to find peace in the world. If you watch the news, you realize there is anything but peace all around you. The truth is living a godly and reverent life can be difficult when your peace is disrupted by circumstances beyond your control. One thing I’ve learned in life as a Christian, you have to work at finding pockets of peace in your daily routine. That might include not having that conversation with a person you know will raise your blood pressure, saying no to a lunch invitation where you know gossip will abound, ordering out instead of cooking so you can have more time to yourself, making peace with your enemies (even if you have to eat crow)…and the list can go on forever.

 It’s ok to take care of yourself! Finding moments of peace so you can maintain a spirit of godliness and reverence is acceptable. Jesus is the prime example; He oftentimes withdrew from the crowds to pray and seek His Father’s will so He could maintain the character traits He wants us to follow.   As you look at the rest of today and this week, don’t sweat it! Find ways to sustain peace by making choices to help you maintain the life of a child of God.

 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay Your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5

 In our bathroom, next to our shower, is a woven floor mat. It perfectly matches our shower curtain and towels.  Over time, the seams have loosened and it’s slowly unraveling. I’m sure we paid good money for it and will be a shame when it has to be thrown out and replaced.

 As I looked at that mat, Psalm 139:5 came to mind. As a child of God, you are sealed for the day of redemption. What a blessed assurance of your salvation. But with this comes the responsibility to stay engaged in your relationship with Jesus Christ. By doing so, you stay tight with the Lord and your life is folded into His perfect will and protection. When you don’t stay close to the Lord, your life tends to unravel, oftentimes rather quickly.

 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubled-minded. James 4:8

 If your life seems chaotic and everything in it seems to be unraveling, it’s a good time to evaluate your closeness to God. I specifically recall a time in my life when things were unraveling at a rapid pace, which eventually caught my attention and helped me refocus on God! Notice in the verse above, YOU are to draw near to God, not Him draw near to you. Why? Because He gives you “free will” to chose how you want to live. Will you live for God or live for yourself? If you answer for yourself, you will encounter much unwanted turmoil, regret, and your heart will eventually grow cold. Who wants to live in chaos? Not me!

 Stay tight with God! The things and people in your life will stay connected without the unraveling of living a lose life. God wants you to stay connected with Him! The choice is yours. Follow Him closely, as He hems you in, behind and before! God bless!

 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17

 As I get older, I find myself reading obituaries of people, some I know and some I don’t, and read about their life and what mattered most. One guy’s obit said he enjoyed fishing, drinking beer and hanging out with his friends, another said she enjoyed growing a flower garden and knitting. Sadly, in those two obits, God was not mentioned at all. Their life was full of the world, yet they had no investment in their eternal security with God. How sad and depressing for those of us who know how important a relationship with Jesus Christ is in the timeline of eternity.

 Today’s verses offer a recommendation for what should matter most in your life. Don’t get me wrong, fishing, sharing time with friends, knitting, or any moral pursuit is ok, just as long as it doesn’t rule your life. Jesus Christ should come first in every life endeavor, from the relationships you develop, your financial management, your devotion to service. Applying biblical wisdom to your choices and pleasures keeps you from pouring your soul into something (or someone) that can rob you of eternal security in heaven.

 Let God touch every aspect of your life to keep you from drowning in the world’s ways, so you can keep Jesus Christ in perfect view at all times and help you live a life dedicated to the One who gave His all to save you! God bless!   

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Many years ago I stood in the middle of my house and prayed for God's help as I watched my marriage unravel. It was probably one of the most painful moments of my life mixed with a feeling of helplessness. I questioned God and He remained silent. All I could do was continue in my faith that He had a handle on my situation. 

Today I can say that God brought me through it to a better place. Yeah, I didn't like the motions I had to go through, but I kept my focus on God and He took care of the rest. 

If you are a child of God, He has a plan for your life, even when those unplanned events occur. He sees you before your birth until the conclusion of your life (and beyond), and knows the pathway necessary to get you through some of life’s most difficult and painful moments. Your response should be to continue in your faith, trusting God to handle the situation before you. You might not have a clue how to proceed , that's where your faith helps you carry on. 

When faced with a crisis or any unforeseen situation, let today's verse be the hope you cling to, as you look to God for guidance, strength, and a lesson in trust building. God will never lead you down a path of destruction. Good things come to those who put their faith and trust in the Lord. 

 Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

I don't know about you, but the Epstein case and people who associated with him have shocked me, making me question the integrity of the most powerful men and women on the planet. All the big names of people who've built things and financial institutions we use daily are guilty. You've got to ask yourself, why associate with the powerful and rich. 

Today's verse actually encourages us to associate with the humble, the less wealthy, because they are the ones who've not allowed the worldly ways to influence their day to day lives. And because they aren't full of themselves, they have room in their heart for Godly wisdom, to gain a special kind of interest that has eternal rewards that far exceed any financial gain in a bank. 

Don't get caught up in the glamour of the rich, and the movers and shakers of this world, they have bigger issues to deal with than you could ever imagine. Associate with genuine brothers and sisters in Christ, who put God first, are humble in their ways, so you can glean some spiritual wisdom to help you invest in Heavenly rewards. God bless. 

 Ephesians 4:26-27 [26] Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath, [27] neither give place to the devil.

Anger, it's an emotion we all experience from time to time. Our spouse does something we don't like, a reckless driver almost causes you to have an accident, a boss who says something that is infuriating, your child disobeys, and the list goes on and on. Can you relate? 

Today's verse doesn't say we can't be angry, but it does tell us not to sin in our anger. Sounds contradictory, but the truth is, anger can be a true indicator of your spiritual condition. If something or someone angers you and you carry it beyond the moment, you might struggle with a spirit of forgiveness. If your anger causes you to have an opinion about a person's race or beliefs, then you might struggle to love others as yourself. A true indicator of the heart is what proceeds from your mouth when angry. OUCH! 

Not sure about you, but I recognize areas of my life that need the Holy Spirits help to transform my mind and heart to deal with my response to anger. If you are true to yourself, you probably recognize your need for God's help as well. 

It's easy these days to get angry. But don't let it spoil the christ like character you exhibit to the outside world, and certainly don't carry it into the next day. Lord, help me to forgive quickly, love others as you do, and most of all turn angry moments into opportunities to show grace, mercy, and love to the people you've placed in my life. 

 Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Romans 6:11-12

 My wife and I just got back from a 4-day vacation in Kentucky. We visited three venues: Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, The Ark Encounter, and the Creation Museum. The Shaker Village was at one time home to over 500 members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly called “Shakers”, who lived as a group of sisters and brothers in Christ. They were very specific about how they lived, worshipped, and worked. Everything from the room we stayed in, the buildings, windows, chairs, tables and so forth, was themed after their structured lives. For us, it was foreign, but certainly helped us understand how their way of life was central to the heart of the God they worshipped.

 As children of God, we should have the same attitude about how our life should be lived. Every aspect of our life should be themed after Christ words of wisdom and how He lived His life. Unfortunately, we oftentimes have rooms in our heart that don’t resemble the Christian lifestyle, hiding within its corners are sinful attitudes, actions, and thoughts, that take away the influence our life has on others, especially those outside the faith. We might not think about the influence we have on others, but the truth is our life as Christians should be like a bright light that exposes the darkness of sin. The light’s exposure should convict others, making them want to desire to live in a similar fashion as Jesus.

 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8

 Take time today to question your life, do all areas of your life carry the same theme of Christ, or are there any areas that don’t resemble the light of Christ? If so, ask God to help transform your heart, mind, and soul, to be partakers of the truth so your life can positively influence those in your corner of this big world.