The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill–treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though seeing him who is unseen.” 

—Hebrews 11:24–27

Three of the most difficult characteristics of a life of faith are found here: 

Could we, like Moses, choose the humble life of a shepherd rather than a life of royalty?

We know that the treasures of this life will always wither, fade (Isaiah 40:8), rust, and be destroyed (Matthew 6:19). We know that evil men will always get their due, even if it’s not until eternity (Isaiah 3:11). We know that the invisible is eternal while the visible is temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18).

In order to live lives of faith, we must intentionally, purposefully, and consistently remind ourselves of these truths. When we’re tempted by the pleasures of this world (James 1:14–15), when we’re afraid of what man can do to us (Matthew 10:28), and when we’re distracted by the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for temporary things (Mark 4:19) that choke out the Word in our lives, our job is to turn our hearts back to the truth.

That is the life of faith.

The post August 24-The Life of Faith appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.’”

—John 4:34

Our food is our sustenance—the thing that keeps us going and powers us on. Physical food does this for the body. But what sustains the soul?

Some might say it’s their children, their job, or a relationship. There are an infinite number of things people might put in that place.

But as fellow heirs with Jesus Christ, we have a new nature like his (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we have his mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). And because we are now like him, our spiritual food—the thing that both nourishes our spirit and spurs us on—is to do the work of the Father.

This is not a passive task. It’s something we do—we are doers, not just hearers (James 1:22).

Accomplishing the Lord’s work will definitely include our children, our jobs, our relationships, and many other good things in life, but those things themselves are not the sustenance of our souls. If we treat them as our soul’s food, we will either consume them in the end, or they will consume us. They’re not meant to be the purpose, but they are meant to receive the benefit of our soul’s nourishment. 

If we treat those things as an outflow of doing our Father’s work, they will reap the benefits in the outpouring of his Spirit, and we will flourish as well.

If we look honestly at our day–to–day life, what is our food? What are we using to fuel our souls?

The post August 23-Doing the Father’s Work appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.”

—1 John 2:17

The things the world promises and tempts us with will not last, but doing the will of God not only affects us and those around us in this life but carries over into eternity.

Doing his will requires us to:

If we love him, there will be evidence of these things in our lives (John 14:23), and we will not only live forever in joy and peace with him, but the things we built by following God’s will as we walk this earth will continue into eternity as well. Our life’s example will have brought other people into forever with Christ.

Building up an earthly kingdom with temporary, earthly rewards—whether that is sin’s short–term satisfaction, wealth, possessions, reputation, success, talents, or appearance—is like building a sandcastle. It will inevitably fall to nothing. Let’s focus on the things that last.

The post August 22-The Things That Last appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability.”

—Matthew 25:15

In the Parable of the Talents, the master does not judge the servants based on their abilities. He knows what they’re capable of and gives them responsibility accordingly. He isn’t expecting anyone to do more than they’re able; he only expects that they will not waste what they have been given.

We often either feel like we can’t do as much as others around us or that we can’t do things as well. We may not believe we’re as smart, talented, or spiritually strong. We may struggle with learning disabilities or chronic health conditions that limit what we can do.

But God never judges us by comparing our talents and abilities to others’. He never looks at any of us and says, “Well, she’s not as good as so–and–so because she can’t ________.” He created and arranged each of us in the body of Christ just as he desired (1 Corinthians 12:18) and has specific good works in mind for us—works tailored to our unique gifts and abilities (Ephesians 2:10). The work he has for us is work that we can do.

Our inabilities are never a point of shame, for even where we are weak, he is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

What he does ask is faithfulness with what we’ve been given. Our talents, abilities, skills, personality, and even our struggles are always to be invested in the kingdom of God, putting feet to the prayer “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The post August 21-A Master Who Knows Us appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

—Hebrews 10:24–25

“Let’s consider.” This means we need to spend some time pondering and figuring it out.

It probably won’t come naturally, but part of our Christian lives is to encourage others to “love and do good deeds.”

So how can we do this?

First and foremost, we must be meeting together with other believers. If we aren’t in community with them, how could we ever stir anyone to love and good works?

Second, one of the best ways to encourage someone in love and good deeds is by being an example of actively loving them and looking for ways to bear their burdens, bless them, and meet their needs as well as the needs of others around us.

Love is winsome; it draws others to it and inspires them to pass it on.

Third, we can consider what has encouraged us in love and good deeds in the past . . . and what has not. When have people encouraged us in this way? How can we use that knowledge to do the same for others, and how can we avoid reenacting attitudes that have kept us locked in fear, insecurity, anger, harm, or inaction rather than inspired us to love and good deeds?

It’s our calling, especially as the world around us grows darker, to spend time considering how we can encourage those around us to actively love others and impact the kingdom of God.

The post August 20-Encouragement on Purpose appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, for his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence.”

—2 Peter 1:1–3

“A faith of the same kind as ours.”

Sometimes we feel like the authors of the Bible must’ve been superheroes of the faith, but they were flawed, struggling people just like you and me.

Our faith is the same kind as theirs—we’ve been given grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus, and God’s divine power has provided everything we need for life and godliness.

All the promises these pillars of the faith experienced apply to us as well, and we can live full lives for Christ through the same strength they did.

It requires commitment and obedience, though. As this passage goes on to say, “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self–control, and in your self–control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:5–7).

We must intentionally apply these things to our hearts, minds, and actions.

God works in us as we act on our belief that his way is the true way. We’re transformed by our obedience. “As long as you practice these things, you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10).

The post August 19-Apply and Live appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

—Colossians 3:23–24

Many of us may work hard jobs with difficult supervisors and unreasonable expectations. The people Paul was writing to wouldn’t have been strangers to a poor work environment. Many of his readers may have been slaves to cruel masters.

The message is the same for us as it was for them—that we do our duty faithfully and with integrity, not with that harsh supervisor in mind, but as if we are doing our work for the Lord . . . because we are.

We’re ultimately serving him, and though bosses, supervisors, and slave masters may not deserve our best, the Lord does. He gave his best for us when we did not deserve it, and we certainly are not greater than he is.

This doesn’t mean we must stay in the difficult situation if there is a way out. First Corinthians 7:21 says of slavery, “If you are also able to become free, take advantage of that.” We can work to find a better job in an environment with healthy, godly leadership.

However, should our circumstances not change despite our best efforts, our integrity and work ethic should remain above reproach, because our service is always to the Lord.

Others don’t determine the level of right actions expected from us; our actions must be right before the Lord.

The post August 18-Above Reproach appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Now which one of you fathers will his son ask for a fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake? Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion? So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

—Luke 11:11–13

When I was little, I begged my mom for all kinds of things at the store—cheap toys, junk food, and useless trinkets. She almost always said no.

But the denial was because she loves me and wanted to give me good gifts instead—healthy food, lasting toys, an education, etc. I didn’t understand good gifts; I only thought about immediate pleasure.

We’re often like toddlers in our prayers. We ask for things to satisfy our pleasures, and God says no (James 4:3) because he wants to give lasting joy rather than cheap toys and healthy food that will help us grow rather than cookies for every meal. 

So when we pray for the Holy Spirit, God will never meet us with refusal or something fearful instead. He will always give us this good gift.

The Holy Spirit is the promise of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13–14), our power to resist sin (Romans 8:12–13), our teacher of all things (John 14:26), our connection to the Father (John 16:13–15), and the power ensuring our eternal life (Romans 8:11). 

The Spirit is real, powerful, and active in our lives, guiding us into truth and directing us into his good work (John 16:13; Acts 8:29; Acts 16:6–7).

The post August 17-The Best Gift appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to him.”

—2 Corinthians 5:9

Our goal should always be to please the Lord. If we have any other earthly ambition ahead of (or even in addition to) that, it will always be competing with what the Lord wants of us.

The beauty of this is that pleasing the Lord means freedom from the expectations of this world.

Paul goes on to say in verse 12, “We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.”

He was telling the church to stop being impressed by outward appearances, power, or grand gestures. “Recognize no one by the flesh,” he adds (2 Corinthians 5:16).

Our only measure for ourselves should be whether we aim to please the Lord—in other words, where our hearts are. This doesn’t mean we will necessarily do great things in the eyes of the world. It does mean that the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in our lives.

It’s easy to get caught up in how we look to the world and worried about whether people see us as successful, smart, attractive, or worthy. But we’re not seeking their approval, and God isn’t worried about our appearance or our resume. We simply live our lives with the goal of pleasing him, and he is pleased.

We will not do it perfectly, but as long as living in humble service to him is our true aim, we will not miss.

The post August 16-The Right Aim appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Be angry, and yet do not sin.”

—Ephesians 4:26

We’ve been made to feel that anger itself is sinful, but it doesn’t have to be.

Our reaction is where the issue usually arises; our anger too often comes out in rudeness, fear, hatred, or insults.

To be angry without sinning requires pausing before speaking and using kind words instead of quarrelsome ones (2 Timothy 2:24). 

It requires abiding in the vine of Jesus Christ, disciplining ourselves in self–control, and allowing the Holy Spirit to be in charge instead of letting fleshly desires and rights take over our mouths.

If we’re giving in to selfishness, the need to win an argument, the desire to put the other party in their place, or holding on to an offense and allowing it to turn to bitterness, we’re letting that anger become sinful.

We must learn to respond with gracious words even in the middle of an argument and to adjust our actions so we’re not tearing others down. They were made in the image of God and any failure on their part to reflect him should result in our pity, love, and prayers. We should also choose to hope and believe that others mean us good at heart rather than assuming the worst of their actions (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Whether they mean us good or evil, we’re told to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44–45).

We must live this verse if we’re going to be angry without sinning and show those around us that we are sons of the loving, merciful God.

The post August 15-Grace in the Heat appeared first on C. E. White.