Not Buried

In 1989, a terrible earthquake almost flattened Armenia. It killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. One father rushed to his son's school and found the building flat as a pancake. Standing there in tears, he remembered a promise he had made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!"  It looked absolutely hopeless, but the dad went to the back right corner and started digging in the pile of rubble. The other grieving parents tried to pull him off, saying, "It's too late! They're dead!”  But he just kept digging for his son stone by stone. He dug for 8 hours, then 12, 24, 36 hours without stopping. Finally in the 38th hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" And a voice answered him, "Dad? It's me Dad!" 

Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved." He remembered his Father's promise: "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!"

Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful. But how much more faithful is our heavenly Father! 

You too may feel abandoned... buried... lost...without hope... Never give up hope that your Father will come looking for you.  I love the quote in the passage above, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!”  

God says that same thing to you today:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

God will never give up on you.  

His love is never ending.

His power is unmatched.

He is dedicated to your growth.  

He will allow challenging things to happen in your life to build your faith.  You may feel like the world is falling down all around you... but rest assured... He will turn over every stone until you see the light again.  Then as you rise from the rubble of what the world was trying to bury you with, He will be there to embrace you and remind you that you are His.   You are protected.  You are precious.

God is a faithful God.  He will never let you go.  

Thank Him today for His faithfulness.

Burdens

Toward the end of the movie “Forrest Gump”, Forrest’s lifelong friend Jenny returns to the site of where she grew up.  Memories of her past abuse and neglect flood back into her mind... and she begins to pick up rocks and throw them at the walls of her old house.  Finally, Jenny quits throwing the stones and breaks down into sobs...  

Forrest’s response?  “Sometimes there just aren’t enough rocks.”

Some of you reading this today have been hurt.  Deeply.  The kind of pain that makes you cry out when nobody’s looking and withdraw emotionally when nobody seems to understand.  

God wants you to hear some words of comfort today.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

All the rocks in the world won’t solve the problem.  But God, the Savior, the Alpha and Omega hears your cries... and He wrote that verse for you.  You aren’t alone.  You do matter.  What happened in your past wasn’t something you deserved... it wasn’t something that you caused... and it wasn’t something you were meant to carry for the rest of your life.  

Today, I invite you to take that burden and lay it down at the foot of the cross.  Jesus is strong enough to handle it... and is calling you to do so.  Don’t turn back to get it... leave it there.  Take that scenario that has been playing over and over in your mind and replace it with the words of today’s verse.

Or this verse:  Phil. 4:13  “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Or this one: Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

Or lastly, this one:  Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;  they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Take some time today, and allow God to comfort your soul, start to heal your wounds, and dry your eyes.  

He’s the only Rock you’ll ever need.  

The Compass

An old sailor repeatedly got lost at sea, so his friends gave him a compass and urged him to use it. The next time he went out in his boat, he followed their advice and took the compass with him. But as usual he became hopelessly confused and was unable to find land. Finally, he was once again rescued by his friends.  Disgusted and impatient with him, they asked, "Why didn’t you use that compass we gave you? You could have saved us a lot of trouble!"  The sailor responded: "I didn’t dare to! I wanted to go north, but as hard as I tried to make the needle aim in that direction, it just kept on pointing southeast." 

That old sailor was so certain he knew which way was north, that he stubbornly tried to force his own personal persuasion on his compass. As a result he was unable to benefit from the guidance it offered. 

Sometimes our life gets off course... and we are in desperate need of direction.

So many ask for it.  So few accept the answers they receive. 

The Bible talks about this type of person:

“But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”  James 1:22

I talk to so many who listen to what we teach at Potential Church... read God’s word for further confirmation... and when it comes time to make the decision, decide to go a completely different direction.  

Many blame God for not stepping in and helping... providing no insight or course of action for them.  Not true.  It isn’t God’s unwillingness to lead.. it’s our unwillingness to follow.  

Far too often we know the truth.  We know the way to go.  We understand what God wants us to do. But we don’t want to follow it because it isn’t convenient, easy, or popular.

God has our best interests in mind.  He knows what’s best for us and provides a way for us to live our lives filled with blessings and joy.  Sure there are challenges, but by seeking and following His guidance... He leads us through and strengthens us in the process.

God’s word is our compass.  It is always the right way to go.  When we follow it, we stay on course.  When we alter from His direction, we find our lives detached and adrift from His purposes.  North is north and God’s Word will always be the absolute truth.  Feeling lost today?  Not sure which way to turn?  Seek His solution and be bold enough to follow it.  I promise that when you do... where you end up will be the exact right place.

Handling the Heat

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

     A story has been told about a daughter who complained to her father about how hard her life has been.  She felt crushed at every turn, rejected, beaten down, and trampled.  Her father, a chef, took her into the kitchen and filled three pots with boiling water.  In the first pot, he put potatoes, the second he placed eggs, and the third...ground coffee beans.  He then let them sit and boil without saying anything.  His daughter grew impatient...and after 20 minutes, the father removed the items from the water and placed them into three bowls.  

Turning to her he asked “What do you see?”  She answered, “Potatoes, eggs, and coffee!”  The father encouraged her to look closer, and, in fact, touch each item.  She felt the potatoes...soft.  Then came the eggs which were now hard from boiling.  Last, the coffee... dark, rich, and strong smelling.   “How is this supposed to help me?” she asked. 

The father explained that all three items had faced the same adversity: the boiling water.  The potato had gone in tough but when confronted with the heat, became soft and weak.  The egg, which was fragile at the start, dealt with the boiling challenge by hardening to the point of not letting anything else in.  

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.  

“Which are you?” the father asked.  

That’s the question I have for you today.  What happens inside of you when adversity strikes?  As we partner together and experience life at Potential Church, there will be times when you will face the “boiling water.”  Foreclosure, personal tragedy, lack of faith,  struggles with addiction, and the like.  Maybe you find yourself already in the bubbling pot...anxious, stressed, and wondering what will happen.  Will God be enough?  

Today’s verse talks specifically about our enemy, Satan, trying to crush us, hunt us, knock us down, and confuse us from what we know is the truth.  The answer to Satan’s attacks?  

Remembering that, through God, we have all the power we need. 

The power to get back up.

The power to never quit.

The power to push the devil back.

The power to try again.

The power to win.

The power to love.  

The power to change the world and not let it change us.

That’s my prayer for you today... that when life seems to be crushing you, that you would remember that inside of your “fragile clay jar” you hold the greatest treasure: Jesus Christ.  God didn’t put us here to just endure the boiling water of life... He sent us here to, like the coffee bean, create something new:  A new heart, a new mind... maybe even a new way of looking at the challenges.  Don’t shrink back from the heat... look at it as an opportunity to become something greater.  When we stand up against adversity, God’s power is demonstrated through us, and Christ gets the glory!

Live

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

I found this story and I want to share it with you today... I’m praying it inspires you as it did me...

“A friend of mine opened his wife’s bedside drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package: ‘This,’ - he said - ‘isn’t any ordinary package.’  He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box. 

‘She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on. Was saving it for a special occasion.  Well, I guess this is it.’  He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral home.  His wife had just passed away.  He turned to me and said: ‘Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion’. 

I still think those words changed my life. 

Now I read more and clean less.  I sit on the porch without worrying about anything. 

I spend more time with my family, and less at work. I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything. I use crystal glasses every day. I’ll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.  I don’t save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to. 

And, on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. 

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Some people live life wondering and some people live life wonderfully.   

The wonderers can’t decide what to do.  Should they use it or store it away for later?  Have the conversation or pretend something never happened?  

They wonder what could have been.

They wonder if it ever will be.

They worry while they’re wondering about things that are out of their control.

Wonderers spend their entire lives counting on a tomorrow that they aren’t guaranteed...borrowing trouble from a future that’s hasn’t come yet...waiting on life to be perfect before they start living it.  

There’s no need to wonder what God’s plan is for us...

Luke 9:62 - “Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.’”  

Get after it!  Live a wonderful life!   When life puts puddles in your path... don’t let them drown you... splash in them!  You are part of God’s family!  The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords paid the highest price, His own life, for you to live in freedom!

God’s word tells us to not hesitate... to not look back... to go after life with a renewed sense of passion and focus.   We should be so busy getting the maximum out of today that we don’t have time to even think about what may happen tomorrow!  We aren’t guaranteed another sunrise... but we do have this one.. this breath.. this chance.. this time.. and this day to make a difference.  

Waiting for the clouds in your life to part before going back outside?  Don’t.  The world is a beautiful place... and you are a beautiful part of it.   If you stay inside too long, you’ll miss the rainbow that’s coming.

Live wonderfully... joyfully... expectantly... 

Hold nothing back for tomorrow.

Today is a special occasion.  

Your heart is still beating.

Get out there and live.

No Compromise

Just when you think your day is bad... think of Ronald Wayne...one of three co-founders of Apple Computers.  In 1976, he sold his 10% share of the company for $800.  In addition, he waived his rights to any part of the company for an additional $1500.  As of this writing today, Apple Computers is one of the most valuable companies in the world.  Estimated worth?  Around $600 billlion.  In today’s market, that 10% share of Apple would be worth around $60 billion dollars.  

At first glance, we see Ronald Wayne as foolish.  He could have had so much more... but he sold out... and lost.   But let’s not be so quick to judge...

Fact is... so many people do the same thing with something far more valuable...

Let’s take a look at Matthew 16:26:

“For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?”

Instead of cashing out stock options and benefits like Ronald... people sell out the most precious thing they have:  themselves.   

They compromise their integrity to fit into a crowd...

Ignore Biblical wisdom for temporary pleasure...

Follow their own way instead of following the direction of Christ...

Try to earn Heaven instead of asking Jesus into their hearts...

Seek the applause of peers over Heavenly cheers...

Ronald Wayne only lost money.  So many people lose themselves.  They live their entire lives focused on climbing the ladder of success... only to find it leaning against the wrong wall.   They sacrifice their eternity at the altar of ego.  And in the end...when it’s all over...they tragically spend forever separated from their Creator.  Their once-important treasure left behind on Earth... inaccessible and useless. 

The objective of a Godly life isn’t to acquire possessions, fame, or fortune.  If we get them...great!  But keep in mind that those things aren’t the goal... they are simply tools to leverage and be used to bring people closer to Jesus Christ!  We’ve been given a precious soul...everything we are...to make a difference for God while we’re here on Earth. Value it.  Don’t vend it to the highest bidder or swap it for the short-lived.   The world will offer you tempting trades... but only give your life... your soul... to the One who knit it together.   God has a great plan for you... don’t sell-out to anything less.

Giving Something Up

If you’ve ever been to the circus, you’ve probably seen it for yourself.  The lion cage... kings of the jungle... ferocious and growling at all who pass by the thick bars of their cage in the center ring.  The lights dim and a daring trainer makes his way to the door of the enclosure.  A nervous hush sweeps over the crowd...

Is he really going in there?  Yep.

He opens the creaking door and steps inside.  You can hear people gasping as the predatory cats snarl and lunge at the source of the intrusion.  Wait... what’s that in the trainer’s hand?  A whip?  That makes sense... but what is that other thing?  It’s a stool.  

Small, unimpressive, and hardly intimidating.  Just a few dollars at your local store...

And THAT’S going to stop a killer cat?

Yes.

The lion tamer knows that when he waves the four-legged stool at the cat... it attempts to focus on all four legs at once.  In doing so, it goes through a kind of paralysis... a confusion that overwhelms it.  The once scary roar becomes a tame and weak purr as the crowd cheers approvingly.  Simply put... the lion becomes ineffective when it tries to focus on too much.  

We are the same way.  

Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us a great way to draw our spiritual lives, our challenges, our strengths, our weaknesses, and our opportunities into very clear singular focus.... fasting.

The Bible is replete with scripture about the importance and significance of fasting... here are just a couple of examples.

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  Matthew 6:16-18

“So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.”  Ezra 8:23

But what IS fasting?  It is giving up something that you would normally do in order to use that time to focus on prayer and gaining intimacy with God.  Meditation in it’s purest and most effective form.  Biblically, food was most often given up... but in today’s era, it might be something like the internet... or a hobby... or tv...  It should always be something that will be dearly missed.  I talk to some who say “I’m fasting from cleaning out the garage... or I’m fasting from healthy food”   This is not what God had in mind.  

 When someone is fasting and feels the urge to partake of what they’ve temporarily given up, they are to spend that time in prayer...seeking God’s will for their lives... memorizing scripture... making every effort to get closer to their Heavenly Father.   Fasting brings focus like no other discipline.  In fact, Jesus Himself did it when the devil took Him out to the wilderness and tried to tempt Him to compromise His mission.

How long and from what you fast is up to you.  Do you need 40 days away from TV to help you grow closer to Christ?  Maybe.  Is a week apart from your iPhone worth a week connecting to God like never before?  Could be.  Can an empty stomach remind you to pray and internalize God’s word?  Yes it can.

Whatever you feel convicted to temporarily give up to have intimacy with God... make the commitment this week to do so.  Fasting is a discipline and as such, won’t necessarily be easy.  It’s worth the struggle... and may just bring you closer than ever to finding God’s plan for your life.  

What We Leave Behind

Have you ever stopped to pick up a shell at the beach?  There are so many beautiful shapes and colors...it’s hard to resist not bringing one home.  Have you ever thought about how they got there?  Shells begin their journey in the ocean... far from the shoreline.  They are carried for many miles in the surf and washed up unceremoniously on the beach for us to discover.  We don’t always see the wave that brought them... just the beauty that stays ... It got me thinking about things that get left behind... about legacy... about what remains...  

Let’s look at an example from scripture:

“The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.”  Acts 5:12-16

The disciples left behind whole, healed bodies and souls.  Where they went they brought miracles and hope.  

What about us?  When we encounter people... what are we leaving behind?

Are we healing more than we hurt?  I’m not just talking about physically.... emotionally, relationally, and spiritually as well.  Are we more concerned about being right than being restorative?  Do we dedicate our time to healing and helping... or breaking up and bowing out?  While we may not be able to cure like the disciples... we can spend much more of our time as peacemakers, heart-healers, and hope-bringers.   What you and I leave behind in this area will be remembered long after what we thought was important.  Trophies tarnish... raises get spent... but a legacy of kindness, servanthood, and benevolence will affect generations of our families far more.  

I want to leave you today with a challenge.  For the next 24 hours...  keep that in the forefront of your mind.  Ask yourself the question “when I leave a situation... what will remain?”  

Have I... 

Changed the climate from hostile to God-honoring?

Brought joy where there was despair?

Reflected Christ’s character?

Healed a heart or made it worse?

Improved the morale of the team?

When the door closes behind me... are they happy I left or wish I’d stayed longer?  Did I make the most of that last conversation?  When people see me do they think world-changer or whiner?

What we leave behind us matters.  We have a limited time on this Earth to make an impact for God.  Seize each day... make the most of every opportunity to help and serve...  And you will leave a legacy that honors the One who created you. 

Ready for Trials

“Wise people treasure knowledge, 

      but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.”

Proverbs 10:14

““It's not the will to win that matters-everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.”  -  Paul “Bear” Bryant

     Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired help. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Angered by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

You can already feel the first raindrops on your face.  The clouds are gathering and the storm is coming.  You can’t stop it or wish it away.  You are about to deal with something you never thought you would or could ever get through.  Trials, diagnoses, lay-offs, betrayal, divorce... the list goes on.  The storms of life rage and all we can do is hope to endure.

Or is there more?  What if we could anticipate trials and be ready for them?  What if we knew that no matter what happened, we had everything tied down?  What if we didn’t have to live afraid of what might be and could enjoy what is?

Today’s verse talks about just that... being prepared.  It says that “Wise people treasure knowledge”  The writer meant much more than just what you see there.  He was saying that those that are prepared for what’s coming are those that keep, process, and apply what they learn.  These are the people who read God saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you” ... and keep it in their heart.  These are the people who hear about the cross and remember that what Jesus went through during the crucifixion was for them... and that He knows our pain... and that He paid the price for our sin through it.  They know that God offers 17th chances... that we won’t always understand why things happen but will always know Who will see us through... and they know that even though they walk through a valley, like David, they won’t be walking alone.  

Knowledge is much more than facts.  Treasuring and remembering what you know prepares you for the storms of life.  It ties down what might blow around in the winds of uncertainty and fear.  What you do with what you know prepares you for what’s to come.  

Are you ready for the storm?  Let’s prepare ahead of time together so that we too can sleep when the wind blows.

Integrity

“People with integrity walk safely,
    but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.”  Proverbs 10:9

Reuben Gonzales was in the final match of a pro racquetball tournament. In the 4th and final game, at match point, Gonzales made a super kill shot into the front wall to win the game. The referee called it good. Two linesman affirmed that the shot was in. But Gonzales, after a moments hesitation, turned around, shook his opponents hand, and declared that his shot had hit the floor first. As a result, he lost the match and walked off the court. Everybody was stunned. They couldn't believe that a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory at hand, disqualified himself at match point and lost!
When asked why he did it, Reuben said, "It was the only thing that I could do to maintain my integrity. I could always win another match, but I could never regain my lost integrity."

One of the most precious things we possess is our reputation.  Our good name.   It takes a lifetime to build it up... but just one poor choice to ruin it.  Most of us have daily opportunities to do one or the other... We either show the world that we have genuine Christ-like character or compromise our values and prove otherwise.  

Think about your last five major decisions... were they God-honoring?  Aligned with scripture?  Honest?  

...or did they damage your name (and the name of Jesus)?

You can always make more money, play another game, seize another opportunity, or take another chance.   You can’t easily rebuild your reputation once you’ve damaged it.  Today you will be faced with choices... opportunities to shine or shame... which will you choose?   If you are a Christ-follower, remember that people are watching what you do when you have the opportunity to be dishonest.  Stand tall... focus on Christ... and take the high road.  God will bless you for your integrity and the world will learn from your example.  

Bumps

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”  James 1:2-4

“…For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

A little boy was leading his sister up a mountain path and the way was not too easy. “Why this isn’t a path at all,¨ the little girl complained. “Its all rocky and bumpy.¨ Her little brother kept on up the mountain, pausing just long enough to call out, “Sure, but the bumps are what you climb on.”

Ever faced a bump in your path?  We all do.  Many try to go around it... thinking that if they didn’t have it to deal with, they would be better off.  Not so.  Refuse to see challenges as inconveniences or barriers... they are tough but necessary steps leading you onward and upward toward a stronger faith and a fulfilled life.   

The troubles you faced in the past were tough... but you made it through them.

The troubles you are facing today are hard... some will tell you that what you want to do or where you want to go is impossible.  

God says nothing is impossible.  

Keep climbing… pushing yourself beyond what’s comfortable and easy… 

Stretch yourself to the point where fear gives way to faith… Be ready to take on the world not based on the opinions of others but on what God’s word says.  

And when you get to the peak of that mountain you are trying to climb... moving up and over all of those challenges... the view will be breathtaking.   

Loving Not Judging

"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, `Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye, then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye."  1 Samuel 16:7

This morning you woke up and the thoughts hit you.  Your past...your responsibilities...your successes...your failures...your future... all of these thoughts probably raced through your mind before you took your first sip of coffee.  You’ve got stuff on your mind that you don’t know what to do with.  You may feel imperfect, challenged, indifferent... or maybe it’s jubilant, elated, and hopeful.

Either way... you are you.  The end result of years of choices.

You know what... you aren’t alone.  Millions of people open their eyes each morning with the same thoughts, the same hang-ups, the same stresses, and the same circumstances.  They may snap at you at the grocery store...or cut in front of you in line.  They may say your work is no good... or your best is not good enough.  They may say your God isn’t able... or may not believe in your God at all.

But they are just like you.  Created by a loving and caring Lord.  His masterpiece.  

They are in need of understanding.  They have a past...  just like you.

They are in need of compassion.  Nobody has told them that Jesus loves them lately.

They are in need of hope.  Their world is as cynical as yours sometimes.

They are in need of love.  Not judgment.

Jesus said “You are the light of the world...” (Matthew 5:14).

President Woodrow Wilson once said, “The thing to do is to supply light and not heat.”  

Which will you be in someone’s life today?  Light or heat?  Does the world need more understanding or criticism?  Do your co-workers need a supportive ear or a pointed finger?  How about your kids?  How hard are you on yourself?

Today you have a choice.  You can judge others... but the world has a lot of critics.  You can stay neutral... but the world has a lot of people doing nothing.  You can love others...and the world will change for the better.  

And by loving others...you’ll change too.