Philippians reminds you that in all things, God can be trusted. There is not a care, concern, struggle, or need that is out of the realm of God’s understanding, control, and provision. Yet this truth is not always the first thing you will turn to. Your human nature starts to take over and if you are not careful, all of the challenges will take up more space in your heart and mind that Jesus ever intended. Paul was content in all circumstances. Paul trusted God, no matter what was going on around him. Do you need to move forward in these areas? Will you ask God to grow you, even if just a small bit, in your understanding of what it means to truly be content in Him?

God wants us to grow in our faith and become mature followers of Christ. Maturity happens as we press deeper into Christ Jesus and then live out His will in our lives. As we are faithful to Him, God matures us. God is writing a greater story in all of us. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, don’t stop growing. Don’t become distracted by “earthly things,” but live your life fully for Christ. Keep moving forward! In the process, you will grow to be all He desires.

Have you ever wondered why you are able to conquer some battles and why others seem to destroy you? Is it because of the severity of the circumstances? Is it because of your resolve and willpower? Paul, repeatedly and passionately, reminded the Church that in the midst of challenges, they could still have joy, and they could still find purpose. Yet, with the wrong attitude, or any attitude for that matter, that is not the attitude of Christ. You will always fall short. When you have a Christ-like attitude, you are quick to serve, instead of complain. When you have a Christ-like attitude, you fight for unity and love because you know that is what really matters. With a Christ-like attitude, you are always willing to give all, and no matter the cost, remain faithful. Why are some battles conquered easily and why do others steal my joy? Start first by examining your attitude! If it is not the attitude of Christ, you should not be surprised by how negatively the challenges impact you.

Humility is central to living a life of Christ. If you desire to be a person who makes a difference for Christ, but try and do so without humility, you will always fall short. Jesus modeled for us what it means to truly love, and in humility He gave His life so we could abundantly live. He asks us to go and do likewise. Perhaps this has been a season where you have solely been thinking about yourself? Maybe in an attempt to be the best at everything personally, you have little left over for someone else. Allow the example of Jesus to be what you use this week to measure your own life. What changes do you need to make? In what areas is He asking you to grow?

Sometimes life doesn’t go as we planned. 2020 is like that for all of us. Yet, when the apostle Paul found himself in prison in Rome, he didn’t sit and feel sorry for himself. He moved forward in his faith and in advancing the Good News of Jesus. Because of Paul’s commitment, we have this incredible letter he wrote, Philippians, and Paul had some serious joy in his life. Where’s your focus today? If you focus on your problems, you get stuck in life. When you focus on Jesus, you are filled with joy and you move forward. Choose to move forward in Christ today.

Legacy is a word you may not think about often, but your legacy is something that is being developed moment by moment, day by day, as you live your life. If you have children or grandchildren, your actions and priorities speak to the legacy you will leave. The friends and neighbors you work with, or do life with, are going to be impacted positively or negatively, by how you live your life. This is legacy! You may think the best thing you can pass onto the next generation is money, power, or resources; however, these things will truly never satisfy and will never last. Every action, word, and deed that points others to a relationship with Jesus Christ is truly the most impactful way you can spend your life. What kind of legacy do you desire to leave?

Most of us want to live a life on purpose. Yet, many of us wish it were easier to do! To live on purpose, I have to be willing to set my own agenda aside and to follow His agenda. To live a life of purpose, I have to place the needs of others before my own and I have to be willing to see that God’s plan is always going to be far better than mine. No matter what may come my way, He can be trusted. God will use the brightest, and darkest, seasons of my life to ultimately show me His plan, just like He did with Paul and the early Church.

We are all in need of grace every moment of every day. Through the cross, Jesus made a way for us to be made whole and reminds us that it is only by His grace that we can have life. We can try our best to be good, we can add rules and regulations, but only through Christ can we experience life. Along those same lines, Jesus desires for us to help others experience His grace and one of the easiest ways to do that is to show His grace. You will probably find yourself in no less than 10 conversations within the next 24 hours where you can either show grace or show condemnation. You can either choose humility or arrogance. Will you choose to act like Jesus or act like the world? One choice will point people toward Jesus and one may very likely point them away from Him.

As a follower of Christ, we all have a calling from Christ. We are all missionaries! Disciples, making disciples, compelled by the grace of God that has transformed our own lives. We carry out this calling in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and on to the ends of the earth. What we learn in Acts 14 from Paul and Barnabus is that being in the center of God’s will, we will all face conflict, challenges, even persecutions. I pray as you face conflict, challenges, even persecutions today that you would have courage to continue to remain obedient and faithful to Christ no matter what the cost. That God would use this time to draw you near to Himself and give you greater clarity and confidence in His Gospel. And, that you would be encouraged and reminded that you are not alone.

God made it so abundantly clear that our call is to go and point other people to Him! Whether we are getting to know our neighbor, engaging with people on social media, or going on a mission trip (can’t wait to be able to do that again soon), He has asked us to be obedient to share. Often we don’t share for a variety of reasons, but maybe today for the first time, you realize that it is not your job to change anyone, but your privilege to share! Praise God that He does the work of changing hearts–He invites us to share the good news!