Try to imagine the fire in the eyes of Jesus and the flex of His muscles as He turns over the tables of the money changers in the temple. And He does it while wielding a whip He made Himself. ‘Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”’ Jesus was the wisest and kindest person who ever lived. Additionally, He was the most passionate. And those who follow Him ought to be the most passionate people on earth. The word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words: en and theos, meaning ‘in God’. And the more you get into God, the more passion you develop about the things of God. ‘Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart’ (Psalm 37:4 NKJV). Yes, you’re supposed to crucify your carnal desires daily. But God doesn’t do away with your capacity for desire; He sanctifies and redirects it. When you ‘delight yourself also in the Lord’, you get a ‘desire transplant’. C.S. Lewis said, ‘We are half-hearted creatures fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us.’ A pastor adds: ‘Sin is a waste of energy…And it’s a double waste. After you waste your energy on things like lust and pride and anger, then you must waste even more energy on things like guilt and shame and regret. Nothing is more de-energising than sin, but by the same token, nothing is more re-energising than obedience. It’s pure energy.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

The Bible says, ‘People are slaves to whatever has mastered them’ (2 Peter 2:19 NIV). And that’s especially true of jealousy. Chuck Swindoll writes: ‘Jealousy and envy are often used interchangeably, but there’s a difference. Envy begins with empty hands; it mourns what it doesn’t have…Jealousy begins with full hands; it’s threatened by the pain of losing what you have to someone else despite your efforts to hold on to it…This was Cain’s sin. He was jealous of Abel. He resented God’s acceptance of his brother, and not until Abel’s blood poured over Cain’s cruel hands did jealousy subside. Solomon might well have written the epitaph for Abel’s tombstone: “Jealousy is [cruel] as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire” (Song of Solomon 8:6 ESV). Anyone who has experienced deliverance from this hellish giant knows too well how jealousy can decimate a friendship, dissolve a romance, destroy a marriage, shoot tension through the ranks of professionals, nullify unity on a team, ruin a church, separate preachers, foster competition among the choir, bring bitterness and finger-pointing among talented instrumentalists and capable singers. Jealousy questions motives and deplores another’s success.’ The Bible says, ‘If your heart is full of bitter jealousy…don’t… cover up the truth.’ Instead, determine that by the grace of God, you’re going to break free from its control. Swindoll adds: ‘I lived many years obeying its commands. It was gross agony. Finally, I realised I didn’t have to live in darkness. I slew the giant and crawled out…and the releasing sunlight of freedom captured my heart. The air was so fresh and clean. Oh, the difference it has made! It’s utter delight. Ask my wife.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

There is a cute story about a girl who left home and went away to university. After her first term, she emailed her mother, saying, ‘I think it’s time I brought you up to date on what’s going on in my life. Shortly after I arrived at university, I got bored with dormitory life and stole fifty pounds from my roommate’s purse. With the money, I rented a motorbike, which I crashed into a telephone pole a few streets from the dorm. I broke my leg in the accident and am unable to attend lectures, so I’m coming home to live with you and dad.’ After hitting ‘send’, she immediately sent a second email: ‘Mum, I was only joking. I didn’t steal any money, or rent a motorbike, or hit a telephone pole, or break my leg. And I won’t be coming home to live with you and dad either. However, I am getting a D in mathematics and an F in literature, and I wanted you to keep my grades in proper perspective!’ Seriously, having a biblical perspective on life’s challenges can lift you out of discouragement and despair. Paul said, ‘Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures…we might have hope.’ For every problem you face in life, God’s Word has a principle to be practised or a promise to be claimed. So, the way to overcome discouragement is to get into God’s Word and get it into you.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Could it be that the negative perception people have of the church stems from the negative energy we project? And could it be that our negative energy stems from our negative view of righteousness? We falsely view righteousness as doing nothing wrong: ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do that. And you’re okay.’ The problem with that approach is you can do nothing wrong and still not do the right thing; the thing God is calling you to do. Righteousness means more than doing nothing wrong. Do you really think God’s ultimate dream for us is doing nothing wrong? You love it when your children make a difficult decision not to do something wrong. But the thing that brings you greater joy is seeing them develop their gifts and maximise their potential. And that’s what God wants for each of us. The Bible teaches two kinds of sin: the sin of commission, which is doing something you shouldn’t have done, and the sin of omission, which is all the things we could and should have done to advance God’s kingdom but didn’t do. A pastor writes: ‘In God’s economy, breaking even is a total loss. Isn’t that the lesson of the parable of the talents? The servant with one talent broke even…[and] Jesus called him a “wicked and lazy servant” (Matthew 25:26 NKJV). The greatest risk is taking no risks…Righteousness is using all our God-given gifts to their full God-given potential. Love doesn’t play it safe; it takes risks. Love doesn’t make excuses; it takes responsibility. Love doesn’t see problems; it seizes opportunities to step up and step in.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Your life’s purpose is connected to a specific time and season. In other words, it will have a beginning and an ending. Some of God’s purposes can be fulfilled in a short time, while others take a lifetime. You won’t always be able to do what you’re doing today, or at least to the extent you’re doing it now. The Bible teaches, ‘As your days, so shall your strength be’ (Deuteronomy 33:25 NKJV). That’s why some of the world’s best sports players transition into coaching. Three important observations: 1) You must understand and maximise the season you’re in right now. 2) When one season ends, you must transition graciously into the next. 3) You must learn to enjoy whatever season you’re in. Here is an interesting phenomenon: Elijah passed his mantle of power to Elisha, but nowhere do we read that Elisha passed it on to anyone else. But when Paul passed his mantle on to Timothy, it didn’t end there. Paul told him, ‘The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also’ (2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV). Instead of lamenting that he had run out of time, Paul rejoiced in knowing that God had helped him to fulfil his assignment. ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown’ (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV). The truth is, God only gives you grace for the season you’re in. And when a season ends, and it’s time to transition, the grace lifts. So, pay attention and know when to move on!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Try to picture this: you’re in a restaurant with someone whose meal costs £15, and you’re watching them struggle over the tip. They have £2 left over, and they know that a 10 per cent tip is considered the very minimum. They waste five minutes getting change for that second pound so they can leave a £1.50 tip rather than leave a little extra. What would have happened if they had left the full £2? They may have made the waiter’s or waitress’s day. Fifty pence may not seem like much, but the message that goes along with it can mean the world of difference to someone, especially if they’re having a rough day. It says, ‘Thanks, you did a good job, I appreciate you, you’re valuable.’ Maybe the message gets lost – your server just sweeps up the tip without counting – but God blesses you for doing it anyway. ‘Whoever sows generously will also reap generously’ (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV). Think about it: you can increase the happiness of others and bless yourself with mere pocket change. This is just one tiny example of the many ways in which the small things we can do have surprisingly big repercussions. Small acts of kindness set the tone for your day. Going the extra mile – whether it’s a slightly larger tip or an unexpected compliment or gift – costs very little and gets you a lot. And here is an important thought: we can have mountain-moving faith, understand and explain all the deep doctrines of the Bible, and get top marks for personal holiness, yet God’s Word says that without love, we are ‘nothing’ (see 1 Corinthians 13:2).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

If you are in a position of leadership, try to be aware of how you respond to the feelings, thoughts, and opinions of those around you. What you say as a leader will resonate more deeply with people than what others say, so you must be sensitive to this. Even when someone offers an idea that you feel has no merit, resist the temptation to immediately dismiss it. A simple ‘Thank you for your input’ is called for, not ‘No, that won’t work.’ When you’re dismissive towards someone, it sends this message: ‘I’m ignoring you and your idea. Your feelings and views don’t matter. Your concern is unimportant to me.’ Spoken or unspoken, these statements hurt a person’s sense of value and need for respect. This is particularly true if the person thinks they have earned the right to special regard. The old saying is true: ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ When you’re dismissive towards others, they will find a way to display their irritation, and sometimes it’s in a way that can cost you dearly when it comes to fulfilling your vision. You can avoid this by becoming more aware of how you come across to others. The only solution to this problem is to step outside yourself, listen intently to others, and endeavour to understand and respectfully handle their concerns. You will gain great benefits if you do. ‘Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

In his book Deep Thoughts, Jack Handey writes: ‘As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a bunch of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way.’ Many of us are waiting for the green light we have already been given. Jesus said, ‘He who follows Me shall…have the light of life.’ When do insight, illumination, and direction come? When you take the first steps of faith. We are not advocating a thoughtless or prayerless approach to decision-making. You need to know that God is calling you. But you can be so afraid of doing the wrong thing that you never do the right thing. It’s wise to think and rethink, but not overthink. Over analysis results in spiritual paralysis. A pastor explains: ‘If you try to logically figure out the will of God, you’ll never take a step of faith. Why? Because the will of God is not logical. It’s theological.’ The word ‘theos’ means ‘God’. So, ‘theological’ denotes adding God into the equation. The pastor continues: ‘That’s why it doesn’t always add up on our human calculators. The promptings of the Holy Spirit won’t always make sense to your logical left brain. In fact, God ideas often seem like bad ideas. But that is when you need to allow the Holy Spirit to override your intellect.’ The disciples Jesus called did two things. They worked miracles, and they made mistakes. Had they been unwilling to make a mistake they would never have experienced the joy of working a miracle. So, go when the light is green.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

One of the greatest predictors of success in any endeavour is persistence. It’s not only how hard you try; it’s how long you try. We tend to overestimate how much we can accomplish in the short term. And according to an American pastor and author, we also ‘underestimate how much we can accomplish over the long haul. Why? Because energy is exponential. The harder you work and the longer you work, the more it pays off. In a study involving Japanese and American first graders, kids were given a difficult puzzle to solve while researchers measured how long they would try before giving up. On average, the American children lasted 9.47 minutes. The Japanese children lasted 13.93 minutes. That is a 47 per cent difference. Want to guess who scores higher on standardised maths tests? Success in any endeavour is a by-product of trying harder and trying longer. There are no substitutes. There are no shortcuts. It doesn’t matter whether it’s athletics or academics, music, or maths [or ministry]. Study after study has shown that it takes about ten years or ten thousand hours to become great at anything. You need to work hard and work long. In the words of Malcolm Gladwell, “Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness.” Are there any God ideas you’ve given up on? Any God-ordained passions that you have stopped fighting for? Any God-sized dreams gathering the dust of disobedience? Don’t give up on them. You need to try. Then you need to try harder. And then you need to try longer.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

A lady told her friend, ‘My husband and I have a very happy marriage. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for me. And that’s the way we go through life – doing nothing for each other!’ We smile, but that’s not so funny when it’s true. That attitude paves the road to disaster in marriage, business, church, personal relationships, and everywhere else. Often people join a team for their own advantage – they want supporting players so they can receive all the accolades. But ultimately, that attitude not only hurts them, it also hurts the people they work with and hinders the results they otherwise could have had. President Woodrow Wilson asserted: ‘You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.’ Here is a true statement, if ever there was one: when you use people, exploit them, and take advantage of them, you inevitably fail in life. Is it easy to work with others and always get along? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. That’s why Paul writes, ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’ You have to work at it. When someone criticises, offset it with a compliment. When someone complains, find something to be thankful for. When someone comes across as self-centred, remind them that the collective goal you’re striving for is greater than any one individual.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.