One Needful Thing

Have you ever heard someone say, "Don't pray for patience or God will send you trials!" For a while, I was afraid to do just that because I didn't want to go through hardships, but then I realized that hard times are going to come anyway, so why not pray for the patience to endure them? The book of James is full of treasures for us to claim, and in chapter one he starts off with advice for trials. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2-4) One thing we can be sure about trials is they are always working something in us. What that something is, though, is entirely up to us. We can allow the trial to let anger, fear, frustration, bitterness, and resentment become a part of our lives, or we can allow God to use the trial to instill in us a depth of character and...

Paul is my hero of the faith! He started out as a man who persecuted Christians by murdering and imprisoning them, but his life took a complete turn when he chose to follow Christ. As I was reading his book of Philippians recently, I was reminded that he had practically nothing of physical value in this life. The Bible doesn't mention his family, he had practically no possessions, and in his later years he spent much time in prison. For a man who had nothing, the things he did have I assume would have been extremely important to him. Things like friendships, status in life, and health. Although he was able to make many friends of the faith, his status in the later years of his life was that of a prisoner. The Bible also talks about Paul having a "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7) which many believe to be a health issue he struggled with. Whether it was a struggle with health, or another type of battle he faced, we can be sure that it was a trial he endure...

When was the last time you went through a struggle and had to keep reminding yourself that God would work everything out in the end? Through a kaleidoscope of fog you look for the good that He will work , and wonder if you will see the sparkling reflection of the desired outcome ahead. I have often told myself that what I'm going through now has a better ending, and once I see the outcome it will all be worth it. This is true, but why do we have to wait until the end before peace can come? Why do we have to wait for the answers before we can have joy? There are some circumstances of life that warrant no happiness and no fulfillment, but that does not mean that in the midst of these we cannot be happy or filled. Remember Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? They were close friends of Jesus who went through trying times. Mary and Martha had lost their brother. He was not only a close friend, but also a stable rock for them to cling to. And then he died, leaving them alone. When Jesus c...

Have the enemies of Despair, Discouragement, and Hopelessness been on your trail? At times it seems they sniff you out and hunt you down no matter how hard you try to stay away from them. No matter what you do they are right behind you threatening to steal all joy and purpose out of your life. I remember a time recently when these foes were on my trail for weeks, months even, if I'm honest with myself. I thought I could outrun them, or at the very least pave my own way to a peaceful corner so that I could smile contentedly as I watched them pass me by; their pursuit in vain. Now I realize that I can't outrun them. I am not strong enough - I never was and I never will be. They will seek me and claim my future as their prize, and I will be stuck in the moment of now without hope. I will be stuck in today and have no good thoughts or feelings for tomorrow. But my failure and lack of strength are not what break me, and that's not what breaks you! In fact, my weakness...

Unworthy. This word usually denotes something negative. If you've ever been rejected by someone you have most likely had feelings of worthlessness that may have been followed closely behind by anger, frustration, and even defeat. Or maybe you've felt you were unworthy of something because you look at your lack and know you will never be able to measure up to what you expect of yourself or think others expect of you. Or there is a past mistake that haunts you around every turn of life and you wonder if it will ever stop defining and defeating you. It is so much a part of you it's hard to let it go. But there's a flip side to this word. A side that, when brought to light, can be humbling yes, but also a rare form of worship that when expressed is a sweet fragrance to our Heavenly Father! How can this be, you may ask. How does this work? I look at the life of John the Baptist and see a man who could have been very proud and self-righteous, but chose not to be. His c...

Have you experienced a time in your life when you weren't happy with where you were as an individual and had a desperate need in your soul that wasn't being fulfilled? There was (or there is) an emptiness in the pit of your stomach that couldn't be satisfied with merely a slice of pepperoni pizza and a bowl of chocolate ice cream. It's a need so intense that all other feelings are momentarily forgotten as you struggle to fill that pit deep inside. How do you fill this void? You invest in your relationships with others to see if the hole will be filled. You work harder at your profession to see if the emptiness will subside. You spend hours in front of the television to drown out the ache within. You fill your life with busyness, not simply because you like being busy, but because you don't want to slow down and feel the hollowness inside. In the Bible, there was a man chosen by God to judge Israel and deliver them from their enemies the Philistines. But this...