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He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. I John 2:6 (NKJV)
Jesus walked with purpose. When one walks with purpose, they neither jog or saunter. They are not wandering around, but have a purpose in mind, a destination to get to and a mission to accomplish. Those who walk with purpose are seldom distracted by their surroundings. Throughout the gospels, especially in the book of Mark, verbs define Jesus’ life.
Jesus also walked with passion. His purpose was fueled by the passion he had for his mission. And people were his mission. His passion for people empowered him to love them. His passion attracted those who lived a lifestyle completely opposite of what he stood for. His passion for others rose above politics, ethnicity, and gender.
Jesus walked with wisdom. He knew what he stood for. He knew what his father, Jehovah God, wanted from him. He did what needed to be done, while at the same time taking care of himself physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Abiding in Christ means that we walk with passion, purpose, and wisdom through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7
Where do you turn when trouble comes? Who do you call on for help?
When relationships go south, some turned to new relationships, hoping to find relief.
When finances are hard, some borrow money which only increases their debt load and anxiety.
Loss of a loved one can lead to years of grief, depression, and mental health issues.
God has never promised that life will be easy. In fact, He promises us that we will have troubles. He also promises us that he will always be there to work with us through every storm we encounter.
The closer you draw to him, less impact the storms in life will have on you. You can trust in him in whatever storm comes your way!
What storm are you in today? What struggle is keeping you from seeing the good things in life? Lean heavily on God and he will bring you a peace that passes all understanding.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. John 15:12
The legalists of Jesus day (like the ones in our day) overloaded people with a bunch of do’s and don’ts. Not Jesus. He had one command. Just one rule to live by that can change the world, at least the one you live in. Love like he loved.
How did Jesus love? He saw people not problems. He saw opportunities not obstacles. He valued others not vilified them. He was passionate yet purposeful. He remained true to himself rather than losing himself. He remained faithful to Gods word, not fickle by following culture. His true identity didn’t hinder his sociability.
Loving like Jesus did is impossible without the Spirit within Him, the same Spirit that lives within every believer. Love like Jesus did in the power of the Spirit Jesus had.
Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Psalms 68:19
I was at the store the other day and observed a young mom trying to do some grocery shopping for the family with two small children in tow. One was seated in the cart, the other was walking beside mom. She was tired, I could see it on her face. The older of the two was whining, no doubt he had a rough day at daycare. At one point he stopped, pulled on mom’s shirt and held his hands up. “Momma, carry me.” With a look of tired hopelessness, she responded, “I can’t carry you honey. You have to walk.” He cried, she got upset, I imagine you get the picture.
Have you ever felt that way? You love your kids. You’d do anything for them, but sometimes carrying our kids can be burdensome. We get tired, they get heavy. We get overwhelmed, they get demanding. At times, when we are honest with ourselves, we don’t carry them because we think they need to bear their own load. They are getting to old, to dependent, to spoiled.
On the human level, that’s understandable, but on the spiritual plain, here is a promise we need to remember. Your burden is never too heavy for the Father. As his dearly loved child, He never tires of carrying your pain, whether that pain is physical or relational. He never gets angry when you need to be carried through your fear. He’s not judgmental and refuses to carry you through your addiction. He is never so preoccupied with other things that He’s unwilling to scoop you up in His arms and remind you of his love.
Have you ever seen the picture of the shepherd carrying the little lamb? That’s your Father. He gladly carries you every single day. Every day. Every struggle. Every pain. You are in his arms, and you can rest securely there.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”” Luke 17:17-18
One day, as Jesus was near the border of Samaria, ten men with leprosy called out to him and asked for healing. We read the story in Luke’s gospel, chapter 17. Jesus told them to go show the priests they were healed. Lepers were not allowed into society without this blessing.
From what we can determine, the men were healed as they left for the temple. Only one of them, a hated Samaritan, returned to Jesus to thank him for being healed. Only one practiced Active Appreciation.
Active Appreciation is part of worship. We don’t know if the other men suddenly got leprosy again, but we do know that this hated Samaritan, the one who showed Active Appreciation, not only received his physical health, but his spiritual health as well.
Active Appreciation is powerful. When King Jehoshaphat was going into battle and the nation of Israel was in trouble, he went before God and prayed. God promised deliverance but instructed the king to have singers go ahead of the army singing praises for God’s power and deliverance.
Their Active Appreciation proved powerful! “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.” 2 Chronicles 20:22
Active Appreciation changes our focus. When we begin with praise to God we are turning our minds towards the Father’s power and promises and away from the enemies of fear, doubt, anger and worry. Like the old adage says, “Big problems, Small God; Big God, Small problems.”
Active Appreciation begins with God. When we learn to appreciate God because of his undeserved, unconditional love and it spreads to others because when we learn to appreciate God we see others differently. Not because of their actions, but because we see them as God’s creation, just as we are. Our appreciation isn’t based on others, it’s based on God.
Who can you practice Active Appreciation on? Begin with your Heavenly Father, then turn your Active Appreciation towards his creation, the people you rub shoulders with every day. It can be as simple as opening a door for someone, or saying thank you. It can be praying with and/or for someone you don’t even know.
Active Appreciation is, well ACTIVE! The more you learn to appreciate the Father, the more you will be able to appreciate others. Live in Active Appreciation.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 