[…]of despair came this rich fodder of biblical truth, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Sometimes suffering occurs from our own sin. King David’s iniquities of adultery and murder reaped generations of violence and betrayal in his family (2 Samuel 12:10). But after David came face-to-face with his scarred, miserable nature and repented, he penned marvelous words of God’s mercy that have guided sinners for centuries, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). And sometimes suffering is simply the effect […]
[…]upon Him. The Apostle Paul writes, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Second, we should seek God and His will every day. Daily prayer and meditation is key to remaining in God’s will for us. This can be done through the use of a “quiet time” or other method of prayer and scriptural meditation. Finally, by focusing on Jesus as our leadership example, we too can disregard the world’s idea of leadership and, like Him, have a clear, focused vision of what God would have us do. While we may never have to give […]
[…]goals again–short and long-term–so we can be ready when God shows us what’s next. Memorize Philippians 4:8 on the plane.” The words I wrote to Larry were ones I had to put into practice myself, a decision which made our time apart productive, and insured that we would stay in pace with each other. Near the end of that first letter I reminded Larry of what a friend had written in his Bible. “No Reserves! No Retreat! No Regrets!” I continued: “Give yourself fully to the work of God there. Don’t turn back when things get hard. Move away from […]