Discipleship Parenting

Do you find your thoughts being tossed around? They are steady one moment and the next they are full of fear and anxiety. As Christians, how do we win the daily battles of the mind? Victory is possible!

While our attention is alert to the coronavirus pandemic, let's be aware of something much more serious that has infected the entire world - sin! Aggressive steps are being taken by governments and nations to minimize the spread of COVID-19. As the body of Christ, what urgent actions can we take to address the spiritual pandemic in our families, churches, and communities?

The coronavirus continues to dominate the news globally and its impact is being felt more directly each day. Yet in the midst of all the fear and uncertainty, there are unprecedented opportunities right now.

We can know the promises of God, but we are often hit by news that evokes fear in our life. Yet God can use these fears to reveal areas where we lack trust in him. These situations can be great starting points to placing our trust back where it belongs - in God's capable hands.

1 John 4:19 says, "We love because he first loved us." As Christians, we see God's love for us demonstrated by Jesus death on the cross and we know our call is to love others. Yet to love in the same way God loves us is a radical love and it is one that is impossible without God living through us.

We all want to fit in and feel normal. In fact, we choose to do many things in life simply because we don't want to stand out. The challenge as Christians is that following Jesus means we look different. So, how are we going to handle standing out?

This lie is a big one. It is believable. It strongly appeals to our natural desires. It also confronts us routinely. Yet, we must remember that it is a lie, and we can find victory over it knowing and using the truth of God's Word.

God created us to live in this moment of history, in the place that we are, in the families we are part of, with the jobs that we have, for his purposes. It's time to rise up and start living our lives like we were made for such a time as this!

It is important to grow even though at times it is challenging and painful to do. As Christians, we are meant to continue to grow in our faith and spiritual maturity. While it can be a difficult road to growth, it makes us equipped and ready to do the work that Jesus has prepared for us.

When was the last time you found yourself heartbroken over something? It's a response you cannot force. As we discuss today's topic, may we all find ourselves heartbroken and may it drive us to action.