When thinking about surrender, many of us think of it in terms of loss, admitting defeat and that we are giving up by “throwing in the towel.” But what if by surrendering something to God, we are setting ourselves up for a greater victory? What if by placing our “battles” into God’s hands that we find greater strength, peace, wisdom and insight than we could ever experience on our own?

We often leave the most uncomfortable, challenging, or unpleasant task until the end or keep pushing it down the line. So what if we started the day by eating a frog?

The phrase, “Eat the Frog” comes from a quote attributed to Mark Twain which says, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” It’s a metaphor for doing the most challenging or unpleasant thing first thing in the morning in order to make the rest of the day easier. Remember, we can do all things through God who strengthens us. 

I love to watch videos of babies taking their first bite of cake or ice cream.  You can see when they experience the glorious nature of sugar. Eyes light up; smiles get big; and oftentimes the baby smashes their face in the sugary treat. Pure joy and delight. Until…until the sugar high crashes and the baby is left cranky, crying, and in need of a nap. As adults, we do the same thing. We reach for the coffee or the diet coke, a red bull, or if we really want some energy, we slam a couple of mountain dews. And just like babies, once we are jacked up on caffeine, we come crashing down too.  Life is like a sugar rush. External enticements get us really excited to move out in faith but before too long we become discouraged and even fearful.  We fail to step into God’s calling by choosing to let the flame of faith dwindle within. Today’s reading encourages us to rekindle our spiritual fervor and our commitment to carry through in what God asks us to do.  Paul reminds Timothy that his stamina and resilience will not come from external vices but that Timothy already has the flame of faith within him! All the flame needs is a little kindling. A little stoking of the fire. Friends, we too have been given the gift of faith. How brightly is your flame shining? If you are discouraged today, and feel afraid or stepping into something new in ministry, don’t reach for the mountain dew. Reach for scripture that reminds you that we have been given the spirit of power and love! And we have been given the spirit of self-discipline to continue when the faith life gets hard.  Where in your life do you need the flame of faith rekindled?

Whether it’s a family member, friend or the opportunity simply presents itself, we are often quick to offer words of comfort, assurance, encouragement and support to those who are struggling or going through a tough time. Yet when we find ourselves going through a similar situation or a season of pain, doubt and uncertainty, we seem to forget the very things we spoke into someone else’s life to provide peace. As we look at Job 4:1-6,  what words have we spoken into someone else’s life that we need to be reminded of for the season that we may find ourselves facing? 

Job 2:11-13 describes Job’s friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—coming to sit with him in his suffering. They weep with him; Job’s tears are their tears. They tear their robes in solidarity with Job’s grief.  They choose to sit in silence with their friend for seven days, recognizing the depth of his grief.  While words sometimes bring comfort, simply coming alongside another in the rawness of their sorrow and loss is the best thing you can do.  We receive from this ancient story not only how to love in the midst of great pain, but how God is present with us in our times of despair. As the saying goes, sometimes silence is golden.

Whether it’s seeing a break in traffic, getting your timing right in double-dutch, or stepping out in faith, have you ever waited for just the right moment only to hesitate and let the moment pass you by? Sometimes we fail to capture the opportunity due to the hectic pace of life but we can also miss them due to fear; fear of what it might cost us or what we may lose in the process. Sometimes it takes someone else’s voice to remind us that God is calling us to step out in faith, to use the gifts we have to bring about much-needed change. In our reading for today, Queen Esther was in a position of influence and was faced with a decision that could cost her her life. However, inaction would cost the lives of countless others. Yet it was at this moment that Mordecai speaks into Queen Esther’s fears and concerns and begins to open her eyes to the impact that inaction could have in the long run.