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Read: 1 Timothy 4:11-16

“Why do we have to take Mrs. Anderson to church with us tomorrow?” asked Miriam. “She’s so boring—all she talks about is her cat. I can’t stand her!”

“I don’t like her either,” said Miriam’s little brother Brendon.

“Me neither!” said Flynn, the youngest.

“That’s enough!” said Mom. “That’s not a kind way to talk about an elderly woman who can’t get out on her own.”

A while later, Mom came to Miriam’s room. “Want to go for a ride? I have the dogs hooked up to the sled. Dad will stay here with the boys.”

“All right!” Miriam eagerly followed her mom outside. “You put Kodiak on the team today?” she asked as she looked at the dogs. “When we take him, the other dogs don’t run as well!”

“He needs more practice,” said Mom. Miriam frowned as she sat down on the sled. Mom hopped on the runners. “Let’s go!” Mom shouted. The dogs took off, and they glided onto the snow-packed road. Miriam yelled out in excitement as they raced to the top of the hill.

Then Kodiak spotted a branch sticking out of the snow. He pulled hard toward the side and stopped. For a minute, the other dogs tried to go on, but soon they all stopped and got tangled up in each other’s lines. Mom got off the sled to straighten them out.

“I knew this would happen!” said Miriam. “Why did we have to use Kodiak?”

“You should be more patient with him. After all, you two are kind of alike.”

“What do you mean?” asked Miriam in surprise.

“Kodiak sets a bad example for the other dogs, and you’ve been setting a bad example for your brothers. You often say mean things about people, and then they think it’s okay for them to think of people that way too. That’s not how Jesus wants us to treat others.”

Miriam sighed. “I know.”

Mom finished untangling the lines and got back onto the sled runners. “Jesus loves Mrs. Anderson—He died for her! His example of love is the one we should follow. Ask Him to help you love Mrs. Anderson like He does. Then you can set a good example for your brothers and encourage them to love her too.”

–Corrine C. Canavan-Fifield

How about you? What kind of example are you setting for your siblings and friends who are Christians? Think about your actions. Do the things you do and say line up with the things Jesus would do and say? Trust Him to help you follow His example so you can encourage other Christians to live that way too. Then you can work together to show others His love!

Today's Key Verse: Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Be a good example

Have you thought much about Jesus’s earthly family and His heavenly family and the impact they all had on His life? Discover what we can learn from people like Mary, Joseph, and the Trinity! 

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When I led a ministry for moms of preschoolers, we hunted for an image to describe the unending demands that mothers experience. Changing diapers. Wiping noses. Picking up toys. It turns out the image was right in front of us: a disposable juice box, collapsed in on itself. Moms can feel like empty juice boxes. That ministry served moms by leading them to the Source of living water that can fill them to the full—Jesus.

In John 7, Jesus went to the Festival of Tabernacles (v. 12), commemorating God’s provision during the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings. This festival included a water-pouring rite symbolizing the fruitfulness that only moisture produces and foreshadowed the spiritual rain the Messiah would bring. Jesus fulfills what the ancient festival anticipated. “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (vv. 37-38).

At times, we can feel like empty containers. Weary from caregiving. Worn from working. Exhausted by everyday responsibilities. The unending demands draw us dry! But when we live in relationship with God, He provides springs of living water within our heart to refresh and refuel us no matter how many cares and concerns try to drain us.

Holiday songs remind us that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. However, for some, it’s also the most challenging, as they grapple with unexpected news and make difficult decisions. Find out what one couple faced on the next Unshackled!

Based on his updated The Case for Christmas, Lee Strobel takes a fresh look at the evidence behind Jesus’ birth. Then Annie McCune shares amazing stories to give you some great ideas on how to show hospitality towards neighbors and strangers as a way of loving like Christ. You’ll be inspired to open your heart and your home!

The Case for Christmas

Practicing Hospitality

Coming Home: An Invitation to Join God’s Family

Truth Rising

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Empathy is often misunderstood and even maligned as toxic. But what can empathy do for you and those you love? On this Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, authors and counselors Bill and Kristi Gaultiere say that true empathy can transform relationships. Hear practical help on how to break down barriers in your marriage on Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman.

Featured resource: Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God's Great Empathy for You

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Read: James 3:3-10

“Why didn’t you invite Jase to come camping with us?” Dad asked as he and Thatcher sat beside their campfire.

Thatcher looked at his dad. “His mother’s in a mental hospital!”

“Yes,” Dad said. “She’s getting the help she needs for her mental health.”

“I knew she was in a hospital, but I didn’t know it was that kind of hospital until a guy at school told me,” Thatcher said. “The kids at school say Jase must be nuts too, and…well, don’t you think he’s a little weird sometimes?”

“No weirder than anyone else,” Dad replied. “Just because Jase’s mother is ill does not mean he has the same problems. And remember, she’s ill, not ‘nuts,’ as you called it.” Thatcher didn’t say anything, but he wasn’t convinced.

After swimming in the river the next day, Thatcher let out a yell. “Dad! There’s a yucky worm on my leg! I can’t pull it off!”

Dad hurried over. “That’s a leech, Thatcher. They live in the water and sometimes stick to swimmers. Hold still, and I’ll try to get it off.” Dad succeeded in removing the leech, but Thatcher’s leg kept on bleeding.

“Leeches give off a substance that keeps blood from clotting,” Dad explained. “We’ll wash and bandage your leg, and I’m sure it will be fine.”

Soon Dad had Thatcher all bandaged up. “You know, Thatcher, leeches remind me of gossip. Gossip also sticks tight. Even after people quit talking, those they’ve gossiped about continue to hurt. I’m sure the things kids say about Jase hurt him. All that gossip may be sucking the joy of life right out of him.”

“I…I didn’t mean to hurt Jase,” Thatcher replied.

“No, but people get hurt by gossip, and it’s a sin. When we gossip, we’re using other people’s problems and shortcomings to get attention and make ourselves look better—and often the things we hear and repeat about others aren’t even true! We need to remember we’re just as flawed as everyone else and that Jesus died to save all of us. We’re not showing others His love when we gossip—either the people listening or the person we’re talking about.”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Thatcher said. “I’ll text Jase and see if he wants to come out here. Then I can tell him I’m sorry too.”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Are you guilty of hurting someone by spreading gossip? Don’t sin by hurting others this way. Even if you believe a negative thing you hear about someone is true, think about how you’d feel if someone said a similar thing about you. Then show Jesus’s love by speaking words that help support and encourage others instead of hurting them.

Today's Key Verse: I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin. Psalm 39:1 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Gossip is sin

Recognize the importance of how Christ redeemed us by dying on the cross for us.

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In the midst of colorful creations made from old plastic bottles cut to resemble feathers and even lampshades, a tour guide at the New Orleans museum shared the thinking behind the use of such material. “For a city that’s had such hardship, we’ve also learned to use what we have to create joy and beauty. We don’t focus only on the hard times; we celebrate the resilience.”

Nehemiah and the Israelites also faced hardship but resiliently pressed on in God’s joy. They’d been captured and taken away from their home, and at last were able to return to Jerusalem from exile (Nehemiah 4:7-12). But upon arriving, they still faced opposition to rebuild the wall that protected Jerusalem (Nehemiah 6). Even after the wall was completed and they gathered for a celebration, hearing the words of God’s law, their spirits were heavy. They were “weeping as they listened” (8:9). But Nehemiah reminded them that they could find joy and strength in God—remembering who He was and what He’d brought them through. Nehemiah told them, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (v. 10).

Focusing on God can give us joy and strength too, especially when our circumstances seem dire. God’s ability, character, and the Scriptures can renew our minds and bring us joy (v. 12)—providing the strength and resilience we need.