Tag Archives: God’s Grace

All Good Things

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If it is good in your life it is from God.  We need to understand that  If it is in your life, and it is good, it is from God.  Everything good in our lives is from God.  Everything.  Listen to James 1: 16-18:

Do not be deceived, my beloved.Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

6a010535724f84970b011168382f7a970cDon’t be deceived is how James starts this off.  Know the truth.  If it’s in your life, and it’s good, it’s from God.  Know that.  Every good gift is from God.  All good things.

That doesn’t just mean the stuff in our lives.  That’s means laughter.  That means friendship.  That means a beautiful sunrise.  That means a good job.

That means the fact that you woke up today.

That means that fact that you can read this is.

Your coffee.  Your lunch.  Your family.  Everything.

If it is in your life and it’s good, it’s from God.  Know that.  Remember that.  And be thankful.

We have so much today to be thankful for.  Today, remember those that grieve.  That hurt. That are in need.  That need God’s grace, comfort and consolation.

Be that grace today.  Today, you be that good gift.  You be that means of grace.  You be that salt and light.  You make that difference.

All good things come from God.  May we give thanks to God for those good things in our lives.  And may we be that good thing for someone else.

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How to be Somebody

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One of the things we see Jesus tell His disciples is this – they are called to be different.

They (we) must be different from the world they (we) live in.  There must be something about us that is different from the world.  While we live in the world and want to show the love of Christ to the world, we must be, well, different.

In today’s passage in Matthew 20,  John and James’ mother comes to Jesus and asks Him to let one brother be on His right hand and the other on His left.

Jesus says that’s not for Him to give, only the Father. But then, He says this:

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus tells us, yes in the world, there is a certain way leaders behave. There is a certain way to gain power.

There is a certain way to be important or to have a status.

Not so among you.  That’s not how we operate. That’s not what the Body of Christ is about.

Yes, in the world, fame and money and power and status, these things reflect on who is important.

Not so among you.

You want to be great for God? Serve. Love. Care. Forgive.

Jesus said even He came not to be served, but to serve.

If we want to be “somebody” you want to know how?

Serve.

Serve as God served. Today, help someone.

Give a smile. A help.  A hug.  A world. A piece of yourself.

If we want to be someone for God, today we can do it. Today, we can be different. Today, we can make an impact.

How?

Serve. Show the love of God. Love as God loves you.  You are vital to Him.

So is everyone we meet.

Today, may we love each other. As God loves us.