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Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 1 Peter 2:12
Years ago I had two girls that attended the youth group I led. One of the girls came from a great Christian home and the other came from a home was full of hate and anger. The girl from the stable home, I’ll call her Jill, was best friends with Mary (also not her real name).
Jill’s parents shared with me their concern with this friendship. Mary had a temper and quite often, in a fit of rage would say things hurtful to Jill and, on a couple occasions, actually hit her. Mom & dad wanted this friendship to end for the safety of their daughter and came to me to see if I could help.
I agreed to talk with Jill. What she said to me has stuck with me all these years, Jill said, “Mary doesn’t have a single friend in the whole school. If I’m not her friend she has no body. Jesus was the friend of many who hated him. I need to be a friend to Mary.”
The story has a positive ending thankfully. Through Jill’s patient endurance and the prayer of many, eventually Mary found Jesus. She’s been married for many years in a Christ-filled home thanks to the patient and positive influence of one person who refused to give up on her.
We can’t always choose whose life God calls us to be a positive influence in. We are never called to put ourselves in danger. Yet through wisdom, patience and prayer we can see even the hardest heart softened by the Holy Spirit.
Be careful not to get sucked into the negativity of a toxic relationship. Yet, at the same time, don’t be afraid to trust the Holy Spirit to change lives through you!
My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! Psalms 56:9
Sometimes scripture is more meaningful if we read it in reverse. For example, Psalm 56:9 says, “My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help…”
So, what happens in the opposite? What happens when I don’t call on the Lord for help. Then what happens to my enemies? They attack of course!
How many times are we in battle with an enemy and grow weary in the fighting simply because we haven’t called for support from our God? Jesus says the enemy is intent on killing and destroying us emotionally, spiritually, perhaps even physically.
Sociologists tell us that when we are in battle we have two main options, fight or flight. I suggest that for us as believers we have a third option. We can fight, but the enemy is too strong. We can flee, but reality is the battles most of us are in run faster than we do. When fighting isn’t possible and running isn’t reasonable try calling.
Our God is just waiting in the wings to give aid. The enemy scoffs at our futile attempts to defeat him, but when he sees God in his power he flees. Don’t fight battles you were never intended to fight. Give them over to the one who will fight for you.
God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. Psalms 18:32
When life’s challenges seem insurmountable, the Psalmist reminds us that our strength doesn’t come from our own abilities, but from God Himself.
This is hard for us because our society tells us that we are the masters of our own destiny. But in God’s kingdom on earth we rest in his strength. When we feel weak, inadequate, or overwhelmed, we can turn to Him, knowing that He equips us with the strength we need to press on.
The hope we have in Jesus is not just wishful thinking, it’s the anchor of our souls in the midst of life’s storms. He is our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer. When we place our trust in Him, He guides us through every trial and tribulation. We don’t have to rely on our own wisdom or strength to navigate life’s challenges.
Instead, we can lean on Jesus, knowing that He has already overcome the world. As we surrender our lives to Him, He empowers us to walk in victory, no matter what circumstances we face.
Hold fast to the truth that we can trust in God’s strength to sustain us and His faithfulness to keep our path secure. We can lives in confident hope in the promise that Jesus is with us every step of the way.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 