Real Live Faith

Who do you consider wise? Sometimes it’s hard to discern if a person is truly wise or if they are just really good at playing the part. I think it’s too easy to assume people are wise because they do a good job deceiving and convincing us otherwise.

Have you ever heard someone say, “The devil made me do it”? Sometimes the devil gets a lot of credit or blame when we don’t want to admit our own guilt. The enemy may try to tempt you, but he has no power to force your hand. That decision to act on temptation solely belongs to you.

One of the most painful things to witness in a brother or sister of Christ is their willful ignorance and disobedience to God’s Word. Seeing their sin and watching their disobedient choices made time and time again can make you feel helpless in their struggle.

Have you ever been quick to call or text a friend or family member and just start venting, ranting, complaining, and flooding them with verbal vomit? James 1:19-20 remind us to “be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”

We get tempted to pour our life into this world that is fading away. But we are cautioned in the Bible not to place our identity in earthly things. People, relationships, government, careers, worldly status. They are all poor substitutes for Christ. Earthly things can never be our Savior. Those things can’t save us. They can’t provide what the Lord can. Those things will always fail us, but the Lord will never fail us.

James 1:2, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” Count it all – joy?! All of it? Well, if you’ve ever gone through a trial, these words right off the bat may catch your attention and perk your ears. Because maybe instead of counting or considering it all joy, you count it as loss?

If we are willing to lay down our life and die to self, God can bear fruit in our lives and do something far greater than we could ever do on our own, alone.

Our culture today has drastically minimized the role of men in the world. Sitcoms and cartoons depict men as dumb, unimportant, unnecessary, mean, sexist, womanizing, weak, or horrible people. Today, more than ever, we need to encourage dads to continue pursuing the Lord and making a lasting impact on their families.

What is God calling your attention to? And what does it take for Him to get your attention? And can you hear the alarm? God will speak to you in ways that are important and impactful to you. 

We look at those who have opposite personalities from us, and think that they are “too” – too loud, too quiet, too busy, too standoffish. What we are really thinking is that they are too different. But we need to realize that different does not equal defective.