"For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends." 2 Corinthians 10:18

"Respect what is right in the site of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." Romans 12:17-18

"Prepare plans by consultation, and make war by wise guidance." Proverbs 20:18

Salt that is useful must be refined, so too for Christians. Being refined is the required process by which we live out our faith and a are useful for kingdom work

Our devotional call is to deny the world and its pursuits, set our eyes on Jesus, and not get distracted by fame, riches, beauty, or accolades, or even fear of the loss of these things.

Giving praise to God is less work than keeping those proclamations bottled up inside us, so why do we choose to bottle it up? Inside we should yearn to live out a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of our lips supplied by God to bring heaven near to us and all who hear our praise.

"...it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace." Hebrews 13:9

Stories of people overcoming great obstacles make great movies. We all want to be that person after we know the rest of the story. But, in order to be that person after, we must first be that person before and during the struggle to overcome.

When we allow God to work out things in our lives not only does he get the job done but he also strengthens us, helps us, and keeps us on a righteous path as we trust and rest in His work.

Worship is the creative expression of our faith, and God the Creator, who has made us in His image, calls us to creatively praise and worship Him unique to who He made us.