Good Morning

Good morning, friends.

Yes, it is a good morning and here's why - every day is a new opportunity to please and glorify our heavenly Father.  Hours full of opportunities - running errands, loving our families, cleaning our homes, working our jobs, discussing events online, mulling our thoughts. Every day is filled with 24 hours worth of opportunities to praise the Lord.

Each minute we can choose to be pleasing or we can choose to be selfish.

I love how the Father provides for me guidance just before I need it.  He lays it out in front of me, I begin to pick at it with my fork and then life throws a curve ball into the middle of my fine dining and I have a choice - eat and be filled with the goodness and truth of the Word, or leave the table, still hungry and frustrated, and even rebellious.

Here's what He has been emphasizing in my life recently (really, since this summer):

• anger equates to murder
• we need to see all people as image bearers of God and give them respect because of that
• honesty should flow through our veins like blood
• we need to go overboard in absorbing the angst and hatred of others
• we do not need to retaliate but rather we must love sacrificially
• we need to pray for our enemies

All of these instructions are realities because of Jesus Christ.  He modeled this for us, not because of the sin of others but because of MY sin. He enables us to be successful through His Spirit, who convicts us and empowers us to goodness. It's really important for me to recognize where I'm at and where I need to be.

So how did I do yesterday?  How did you do yesterday?

• Did I spend the evening murdering people in my heart?
• Did I defame image bearers of my Father?
• Did I seek truth or believe lies?
• Did I cringe at the thought of the onslaught of angst that would come my way?
• Did I prepare rash responses?
• Did I pray for my enemies?

Well, let's just say that because God had so clearly told me what His follower would do in a situation like last night, my choices were different than what my flesh wanted.  Jesus ends Matthew 5 saying, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." I was far from perfect, but closer than ever because of the powerful, life-changing Word of God, and for that I am thankful this morning.

So let's commit to less self and more Jesus!  It's a much better way to live and will have a much greater impact in the end...