Monthly Archive

“Take time to be holy, the world rushes on; Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone. By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.” The words of this old hymn remind me that to grow in relationship with Jesus takes work…hard work and sacrifice. But nothing of value comes without hard work and sacrifice. The question I ask myself is this: “Am I struggling and sacrificing for temporal or eternal things?”

Being a follower of Christmas is not an easy, once or twice a week commitment.  It’s a 24/7, life altering,  sacrificial act of obedience. We say we are his followers but often we do so at our convenience and in our time frame, not his. We scoff at those who reject Christ, but are we ant different when we follow at a distance and half heartedly?

“Being Still” before God is not easy. The cares and worries of the world clamour for our attention. If we listen to the winds of deception; if we take our eyes off Jesus and gaze on the problems surrounding us, we will sink into the sea of despair, worry and fear. In the stillness he reminds us that we are the object of his glory and through us he will be exalted. Not of our doing, but of his.

There are times in each of our lives when we need help making choices. Some decisions come easily. Some are horrendously difficult. Wisdom requires two things from us. One is to admit we don’t have all the answers and we are not the center of the universe. In other words, it’s not about me. Secondly, wisdom says we seek direction from those who have travelled the road before us and can be counted on for good counsel. Jesus promises he’ll always be at your side through the Holy Spirit. He may not always tell us the most pleasant way, but he’ll always lead us in the best way if we listen with an open heart.

When you are in trouble you always need a ‘go to’ person. Someone you can count on, who’s never let you down, who’s never judged you or criticized your mistakes. Someone who’s wise, weathered the storm, and always can find an answer. Jesus is just the person you are looking for!