Whether we like it or not, we are building our lives through every choice that we make. Many people are foolishly building their lives toward future catastrophes without even knowing it. By rejecting the claims of Christ right now, they are unknowingly setting up themselves for future failure. But is there another choice? Of course! By obeying Christ today and every day, we can build our lives wisely toward the future.

Sometimes when we look around us, we envy those who don't seem to care about God but are actually happy or are doing well in their lives. It makes us think, "Why are these people doing well when in fact they are disregarding or rejecting God?" It may create doubts in our hearts. We may ask, "Is following and obeying God really worth it?" Before we conclude wrongly that God is unfair, perhaps it will do us good to know the end of those who reject God or what the Bible calls the "wicked".

We have an invisible enemy working behind our visible reality. That visible reality is called the "world" in the Scriptures. This does not refer to the beautiful world that we live in (e.g. the mountains, the sky, the seas, etc.). It refers to the systems and philosophies of the world. We must understand the nature of "this" world as the Bible describes it so that we can understand also why we struggle in taking care of our souls and the souls of others.

We all want to change to become better people. But often we do it in the wrong way. We start by changing behavior. We do this to ourselves as well as to others. In psychology, this is called a behavioral modification. We use techniques and strategies to change behavior so that people will become better. Although there is some good to it, by itself it will not be effective in the long run. People have to be transformed from the inside out.

Being persecuted is a difficult experience. We experience hostility, harassment, and ill-treatment from others because of our beliefs. They may use verbal abuse or maybe even physical abuse. We may suffer because we choose to stand by our faith. Through intimidation and threats, they do all they can to force us to conform. How can we find comfort during such difficult times?

We all get hurt sometimes. How we respond reveals a lot about us and where we are in our spiritual journey. Normally, when we are hurt, we hurt back. But those who follow Jesus are instructed to get rid of that trigger response which often becomes a pattern in our behavior. Instead, we are to be gracious to those who hurt us. We need to understand why.

There are many things to be afraid of in this world. There are dangers all around. Sometimes, we just imagine certain unwanted things that can happen and we are afraid. Where can we hide in times of fear and anxiety? Children usually ran to their parents. They hide behind their parents' back because they know they will be protected. For us, we ran to the Lord. He is the safest hiding place for those who believe.

What is the main difference between a true disciple of Christ and those who are not? It's not their external appearance. They probably look the same. It's not even their activities, for both believers and unbelievers can look very religious on the outside. The main difference between the two is the kind of love that each can exhibit. Of course, those who do not acknowledge Christ can still exhibit love. But the true disciple of Christ can exhibit a higher kind of love.

There is so much evil in the world. Consequently, many people are angry and frustrated. When faced with evil, our instinct is either to complain or to give up. We complain because no one seems to care enough to stop it or correct it. We also feel helpless because we cannot stop it ourselves. We often express these feelings through social media. However, those who know the Lord have confidence even in the face of evil.

Some people think that becoming a Christian is a big mistake. They imagine a person doing so and losing a lot of things as a result. They cannot enjoy life anymore. They will be limited by a lot of rules and regulations, resulting in a life of unhappiness. But such is not the description of Jesus for those who choose to follow Him. Even though they will suffer, they will still be blessed. In other words, when we consider the consequences of such a decision, it is still better to follow and suffer for Christ than not to do so.