RTTBROS

Encores, Not Leftovers: The Power of Words #Nightlight

#RTTBROS #WordsMatter #ChooseJoy

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)

I heard a man say something that stopped me in my tracks. He said, "We don't have leftovers at our house. We have encores. Encores are the chance to eat excellent food one more time."

That got me thinking about the power of words. This same fellow mentioned that he doesn't call his wife "my old lady." He calls her "my bride." And you know what? I do the same thing. Every day, I call my wife "my beautiful bride."

Here's what struck me: the words we choose don't just describe our reality. They actually shape our experience of it. When that man calls Tuesday night's meatloaf an "encore," he's training his heart to see abundance where others might see routine. He's choosing gratitude over grumbling.

Scripture tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. When I call my wife "my beautiful bride," I'm reminding myself of the wonder of our covenant. I'm choosing to see her through the lens of love. I'm speaking life over our marriage every single day.

We're constantly narrating our lives to ourselves. Are those challenges "overwhelming problems" or "opportunities for God to show His faithfulness"? Are we dealing with "leftovers" or celebrating "encores"?

The person who learns to speak life over the ordinary moments discovers extraordinary joy. They're not living in denial. They're living in hope.

Maybe today you need to change some words. Instead of "I have to go to work," try "I get to provide for my family." Instead of "another day, same old routine," perhaps "another day, another chance to see God's faithfulness."

Your words matter more than you think. They're not just describing your life. They're helping to create the atmosphere in which you live it.

Prayer:

Father, help me to speak life over my circumstances and relationships. Give me wisdom to choose words that reflect Your goodness. Let my tongue be an instrument of blessing. Teach me to see encores where others see leftovers, and to speak hope where others speak complaints. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Acceptance with Joy #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Acceptance with Joy: Trading Our Plans for God's Gifts #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

I've been thinking lately about something C.S. Lewis once wrote: "We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." That really gets to the heart of it, doesn't it?

We spend so much energy gripping tightly to our plans, our expectations, our vision of how life should unfold. We clutch them like precious treasures, afraid to let go. But here's what I've learned through my years of stumbling around this life: sometimes God's got something better in His hands, and we can't receive it until we open ours.

I remember when my ministry path took an unexpected turn. I had it all mapped out, where I'd serve, how things would grow, what success would look like. When doors started closing instead of opening, I fought it hard. I held onto my plans with white knuckles, wondering why God wasn't getting with my program.

But you know what happened when I finally loosened my grip? When I stopped wrestling with what wasn't and started accepting what was? I discovered gifts I never knew God had waiting for me. Opportunities to serve I'd never imagined. People to love and learn from that weren't in my original blueprint.

Paul says to give thanks "in every thing," not just the good things, but in everything. That's a tall order for folks like us who like our ducks in a row. But here's the secret sauce: acceptance with joy isn't about pretending everything's perfect. It's about trusting that God's love is perfect, even when His plan looks nothing like ours.

When we release our death grip on what we wanted, we free up our hands to receive what God's actually giving us. And more often than not, His gifts are wrapped in packages we never would have chosen but end up being exactly what our hearts needed.

Maybe today you're holding onto something that's keeping you from receiving something better. A relationship that ended, a job that didn't work out, a dream that took a detour. What if, just what if, God's got something even better waiting, but you can't pick it up because you're still clutching what used to be?

Prayer: Father, help me loosen my grip on my plans and trust Your heart for my life. Give me the grace to accept with joy what You've placed in my path, knowing that Your love never makes mistakes. Help me see Your gifts, even when they're wrapped differently than I expected. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Adapt Your Life #Priorities #Nightlight #RTTBROS #Growth #areyouready

Living Into God's Will #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Best Question Ever #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Best Question Ever

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10

The other day on our ride to church, my son asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. "Dad," he said, "when you get to heaven, what's the first question you're going to ask God?"

Now, I've been asked a lot of questions over the years, but this one had me reaching for the brakes on my thoughts. I had to pause and really think about it. What would I want to know first when I finally stand before the throne of grace?

But before I could even formulate an answer, my boy continued. "I know what mine would be," he said with the kind of certainty that only comes from a young heart seeking truth. "I'd ask God, 'What was my purpose?' So I could see if I lived up to what You had planned for me with the life I lived."

Friends, I've heard some profound questions in my years of ministry, but I told him right then and there, "Son, that might just be the best question ever."

You see, too many of us spend our lives like a duck on a pond, calm on top but paddling furiously underneath, wondering if what we're doing really matters. We get so caught up in the daily grind, the bills that need paying, the responsibilities that keep piling up, that we forget to ask the most important question of all: Am I living the purpose God designed for me?

Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are God's workmanship. The word there in the original language is "poiema," which means a work of art, a masterpiece. You're not some mass-produced widget rolling off heaven's assembly line. You are a carefully crafted, one-of-a-kind creation with a specific purpose that God ordained before you took your first breath.

Now, I don't think we have to wait until we get to heaven to know our purpose. God's given us His Word, His Spirit, and the gift of prayer to help us discover why He placed us here. But here's what struck me about my son's question, it wasn't just about knowing his purpose, it was about whether he had lived into it.

That's the difference between head knowledge and heart application. It's one thing to know God has a plan for your life. It's quite another to surrender to that plan and walk faithfully in it, even when the path gets rocky and the destination seems unclear.

As I've gotten older and hopefully a little wiser (too soon old and too late smart, as they say), I've learned that God's purpose for us isn't always some grand, earth-shaking calling. Sometimes it's as simple as being faithful in the small things, showing kindness to a stranger, or raising children who love the Lord. History is just His story, and each of us gets to play our part in His grand narrative.

So here's my encouragement for you today: don't wait until you're standing before God to ask about your purpose. Ask Him now. Seek Him in His Word. Listen for His voice in prayer. And then, with whatever understanding He gives you, live boldly into that calling.

Because when we finally do stand before Him, the question won't be whether we had the perfect plan figured out. It'll be whether we trusted Him enough to walk faithfully in the purpose He gave us, one day at a time.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to seek Your purpose for my life and give me the courage to live faithfully in whatever calling You place before me. May my life be a reflection of Your workmanship, and may I hear You say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." In Jesus' name, Amen.

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the foundation of Truth #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Splitting The Sky #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Birthday #areyouready #Preperation #Nightlight #RTTBROS #priority

ARE you prepared? #RTTBROS #Nightlight #secondcoming #Preperation #areyouready

Fresh Mercy #RTTBROS #nightlight