The Choice Is Yours

"Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good." Romans 12: 21  This scripture is the conclusion of a challenging guideline on our response to mistreatment. Included is a command to not take revenge, a call to bless those whom you would rather curse, and a mission to live at peace with all to the best of your ability through sincerity of love. This passage begins with a call to transform your mind by constant renewing of God's perspective. The reason may be that God cares that evil does not claim your soul or defeat you. I feel God also cares about your life of goodness in relation to others.  God gives the motivation for change not in the form of guilt or rule following. Rather, we are to be prompted to transform because of the reassurance of God's justice, the promise of genuine relationships with others, and the blessing of a life characterized by goodness, sincerity, and love. A goodness so strong it defeats evil. The hardest change is for...

We are all in this together. When I think about the importance of work in our lives, the obvious comes to mind. Work provides a means to interact with society in an economic capacity both in earning money and being able to spend money. Work also provides a social environment where as most people find their best friends and possibly arch-enemies, as the popular show the Office so masterfully exposed the dichotomy of workplace relationships in its extreme comedic exploration. Work, in all venues, can be categorized down to the basics of an exchange of goods or services or a combination of these attributes. In pondering the benefits of work from a holistic perspective one unifying theme emerged: Work assists people in their development. The development of skills, creativity, work ethic, charisma, conflict resolution, learning, and character. As a Christian, my first inclination is to say that work allows us another avenue to explore our main mission in life: to become more like Ch...

Sometimes life does silly flips in dizzying cartwheel twirls. Other times change creeps through crevices of the mind. Rarely, do I feel like I am moving forward without dredging through a thick mud. If not overcome by frustration, I do observe my surroundings progressing against the landscape. I have to remain focused in order to recover from the wooziness of the swirling circumstances, or be aware of the subtle changes in the landscape, and  My movement is not always in a straight line, and can appear aimless, but I am moving in a direction. I am walking home. I also am not walking alone. My walking partner is patiently waiting for me to interact and continue on and even enjoy the beauty along the way. I have found any time I make a stand or resolve myself to a direction shift, the focus becomes more determined on fixing the present problem. I wonder if I just asked my companion, who seems to be walking in ease, if I would find an easier pleasurable path. I am going to the h...

God and I were in a battle of wills this morning over a deep heart change. He allowed the struggle as we wrestled through the issues; yet, ultimately in my surrender I receive a blessing. I know my heart I know more of God’s heart I know my own desires I know a portion of God’s desires I give tell Him my plans He doesn’t tell me His I see my pain He sees my pain too I worry about my future He asks me to have joy in the moment I tell him I can’t He tells me I can choose He will help; He already has helped I remind myself of His help I choose to live in today and give Him both today ………and tomorrows. I choose. I find myself not overjoyed or overwhelmed, not full of any type of resolve or renewed strength, but a surrender of trust and a release of worry and pain. God gives me a time of normalcy, where I can become more obedient and dependent on a God of pure love. His Child. His Daughter. His Friend. His Follower. His.