Fears

There are four types of fears: fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of the unknown. It is very likely that you are struggling with one or more of these fears. These fears can paralyze you and keep you from God's best. Remember what 2 Timothy 1 says in that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

Fear is having faith, but it's placing your faith in the wrong things. Fear is placing your faith in the "what ifs". So much of our fears are focused on things that may or may not happen. There is no reason to fear things that might not even happen. Even people in the Bible struggled in fearing their own "what ifs". You will read today about Moses' "what if" fear and how God gave him strength to overcome his fear.

Speak life giving words

Anytime you think something positive about someone else, you should tell them. We should all live by that rule, as it will help us become more comfortable speaking life-giving words.

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33 NIV
https://matthew.bible/matthew-12-33

Words

God's Word gives us a very important instruction that we must all take to heart and obey. That instruction is to speak life-giving words to others every chance we get.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29 NIV
https://ephesians.bible/ephesians-4-29

Godliness

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:8 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ti.4.8.NIV

Toxic thoughts

There are four common categories of toxic thoughts. These are negative, fearful, discontented, and critical. 

replace those thoughts with God's truth. The best place to find God's truth is in His Word.

Strive to block out and remove all of the toxic things polluting your life and instead fix your thoughts on Jesus. Fixing your thoughts on Him is critical in filtering out all of the toxins in your life.

Create with others

Like these creators before us, we need regular communion with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to renew our minds and refresh the lenses through which we view the world as we create.

If our work is to feel like a vocation—a true calling on our lives—we must be willing to follow the example of C. S. Lewis and reimagine our work as service to God and others. When we do, we will find the lordship of the True Aslan, Jesus Christ, changing our motivations for creating, the products we choose to create, and how we go about creating them, in community with others following the call to create.

Our faith through work

Like Lewis, our product ideas will likely not come from brainstorming sessions where we focus intensely on how we can create a product that reveals God’s character. But as we begin to create, and we “let the Word of Christ dwell in [us] richly,” (Colossians 3:16) we will undoubtedly see how we can use our creations to reveal the character of our Creator. If our work is to feel like a calling, we, like Lewis, must be willing to allow the True Aslan to come “bounding into” every aspect of our lives, including our work.

Free to create

Essentially, we use our work as a means of saving ourselves.

But as Christians, we know that the work of salvation is complete and that brings an entirely different motivation to our work! Because Jesus said, “It is finished,” we no longer have to use our work as a means of saving ourselves.

Like Lewis, the gospel frees us to create for the pure joy of creating, not seeking fortune or fame, but the fame of the One who has called us to create. 

Life Principle 30: An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.

With Jesus, we can experience peace that surpasses our rational capacity and settles deep within (Phil. 4:7). We are to seek and find this peace as we await the Lord’s return.

When the Lord comes, will He find you among those who love Him and call Him Savior and Lord? Will He find you doing what He’s commanded of you, eager to see Him and ready for His appearing? You have it within your grasp to positively answer these questions. So how will you choose to respond to the Lord’s call upon your life?

The fact is, He is coming again! 

Life Principle 29: We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.

If you’re willing to allow God to surface the inner rubbish of your life—and if you’re willing to change what needs to be changed—you’ll emerge from adversity closer to Christ, more mature as His child, and with far greater potential to reflect the love of God to the world around you.

Adversity, anguish, trials, tribulations, and heartaches operate as lessons in the school of experience. They bring us to a place of new insight and understanding. They can alter our perceptions of the world, our views of God, and lead us to change our behaviors. The Lord, of course, is the ultimate Teacher. He’s the One to whom we must look for the meaning of any lesson related to adversity.

Life Principle 28: No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.

The accountability and encouragement found in church anchor us against the tides that work to sweep us away. To neglect the regular assembly of fellow Christians is to miss out on this essential element in the development of our faith.

Life Principle 20: Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.

In the daily disappointments that threaten to consume your emotional resources and deflect your attention away from the Lord, you have real hope and a real choice for joy and abundant living in Christ. Circumstances don’t control you; Jesus does. You never have to be the victim of your feelings. You can choose to look to God, listen, learn, and move ahead. As you do, the wounded, dejected places in your heart and the scars of old disappointments will melt away in God’s restoring love.

Life Principle 26: Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.

When adversity strikes, one of the first things we should do is turn to the Lord and ask Him to show us what we need to learn in the situation. We may initially battle feelings of disbelief or denial, but the overriding thought needs to be one of trust and faith in God’s ability. The second step is to affirm our commitment to Him and set our focus on Him—not our circumstances.

Never forget that God knows the future! He understands the advantage of adversity and how it can be used to strengthen your faith, refine your hope, and settle your heart into a place of contentment and trust. Without times of adversity, you would miss the powerful experience of God walking with you through the valley times of life.

Life Principle 27: Prayer is life’s greatest time saver.

The Lord knows exactly what you need, and He will always answer your prayers as is absolutely best for you. Therefore, spend time listening to Him, receiving His wisdom and direction, and drinking in His presence and power. Be quiet before Him, rest in Him, and allow Him to order your steps. He will keep you from moving in the wrong direction or from wasting your time doing useless things.

Then no matter what you face, commit yourself to His schedule, wisdom, provision, and guidance through prayer. You will find that your time with Him is the best investment you will ever make.

Life Principle 25: God blesses us so that we might bless others.

God calls us to serve one another just as Jesus did. He didn’t save you or call you to service so that you might be exalted, praised, glorified, or put on a pedestal. He saved you so you could serve Him and others. When we do this, we honor Him with our lives. The most important thing you can do outside of accepting Christ as your Savior is to give your life to Him and allow Him to lead you each day.

God loved us so that we might love others. He blesses us so that we might bless others. That’s what the Christian life is all about.

Life Principle 24: To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.

God doesn’t call you or any believer to a marginal, Christian life characterized by chores and rituals. He desires to have a daily relationship with you where you experience His presence and trust Him for wisdom, courage, and strength in all situations. With every step you take, decision you make, conversation you have, and thought you entertain, the Lord wants to glorify Himself through you. He desires to shine in your life, illuminating your unique talents, traits, and personality as you walk in obedience to Him.