Freedom From Fear

The One Way Missionaries

What Do We Learn Though Trials?

First, there are acquaintances. These are the people you meet day in and day out, perhaps the teller at the bank window or perhaps the grocery store clerk. These are people you run into. In one year’s time, you’ll probably make anywhere from 500 to 2,500 acquaintances. Most of these relationships are superficial. They will never go any deeper.

Second, there are casual friends. These are people you know on a first-name basis. A conversation with these people, whether at church or at work, involves superficial issues such as the stock market, politics, sports game, children, and so forth. Some of these casual friendships may only last a few months. Some may span a lifetime.

Third, there are close friends. Depending upon your social network, your close friends can number anywhere from five to twenty-five people. These are people who are neighbors, church members, work associates. And usually these relationships are characterized by a mutual agreement on many of the basic issues of life.

And then fourth, there are intimate friends. Usually, no one has more than six intimate friends in a lifetime. These are people with whom we can share our deepest feelings, the people with whom we can be most open. These are the people we call at a time of crisis in our life. And although the nature of these friendships can change over time, usually they will endure a lifetime regardless of geographical location. These are people, maybe you won’t see for a few years but as soon as you get back together with them it’s just like you’re picking up where you left off. These are intimate friends.

During this time when we are forced to evaluate what's most important to us, let us pray that we will make wise choices. Consider or family and friends that we are missing at this time and that may be in need. Stay in touch with those that we love and value.

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. A feeling of trust.

God’s grace has a drenching about it. A wildness about it. A white-water, riptide, turn-you-upside-downness about it. Grace comes after you. It rewires you. From insecure to God secure. From regret-riddled to better-because-of-it. From afraid-to-die to ready-to-fly. Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off.

Max Lucado, Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine

Fixate on Jesus and on where you are headed, not on all the noise and distractions of the world.

Scriptures References:

Hebrews 12:2-3. John 17:4-5. 2nd Chronicles 5:13-14. 1st Corinthians 6:19-20. Romans 8:18. Numbers 6:24-27.

Gary discusses the tendency to seek a "New Truth" rather that focusing on the truth that has already been given.