What Helps Believers Survive Life's Troubles?

There are basically two paths to follow in life. The easiest is the self-directed way which consists of deciding what you want and then following  your instincts and intuitions to bring to fruition these desires. The most difficult path to follow is the one directed by the Holy Spirit.

This way – Jesus Christ is held up as "the way, the truth, and the life." Psalm 119:59-60 from the Good News Bible states: “I have considered my conduct, and I promise to follow your instructions. Without delay I hurry to obey your commands.” Have you made this turn in your life?

When God’s way is chosen, he gives wisdom and understanding for managing each situation. Listen to Psalm 37:39: “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, who is their stronghold in times of trouble.” Faith and confidence are strengthened as you experience the presence of God in times of trouble. 

    

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And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. 

~2 Corinthians 4:17 Good News Bible

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What Is Learned by Submitting to Challenges?

Challenges always coexist with varying degrees of frustration relative to the intensity of the challenge. In every stage of life frustration plays a major role. Adults are challenged today by changing roles they must master or be left behind.

Women are challenged to obtain and succeed in positions once held by men. Each year more women are accepted at medical schools than are men, and women professors at those schools continue to grow. This trend provides cause for women to celebrate.

If every challenge is accompanied by frustration, how are men responding to the challenge of sharing power with women who desire to use the talents God gave them. Challenges can be greeted with fear or seen as opportunities to grow into the person God intended. 

God intended for both men and women to be receptive to mastering new roles for the purpose of serving him and each other.                      

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If you wander off the road to the right or left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road: Follow it.”

~Isaiah 30:21 Good News Bible

 

Jesus said, “I am the Road [or the Way], also the Truth and the Life.”

~John 14:6 The Message

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How Can Lying Eyes Learn to Speak Truth?

There are secrets that are detrimental to oneself and others. These secrets arouse suspicion and distrust because they can’t be completely suppressed or hidden. Shame and guilt are impossible to conceal completely because subtle changes in attitudes and behaviors are apparent.

Human beings try to deceive with their eyes. The eyes are said to be the window to the soul for others to see and question. Being deceptive makes the eyes appear shut to the scrutiny of those searching for the truth. John Steinbeck wrote, “Lying eyes are impossible to hide.”

When feeling suspicious, ask God for insight and patience. Wait for details to confirm or disprove what is feared to be true. Fear is overcome by truth and mercy and by trusting God to bring positive good and needed change from what appears hurtful and painful. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus delivers security in times of insecurity.   

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Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

~Psalm 86:11-12 New International Version

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New Year Plans: Are You Moving Toward a New Beginning?

Today marks the beginning of celebrating a long holiday that extends through New Year’s Day. For others it’s a continuation of celebrating that began with Christmas Eve and includes New Year’s Eve parties to greet what could be a new beginning for God’s plan and purpose for you and the nation.

Have you already begun to anticipate what magnificent things will be in store by trusting in God to bring about good things? By trusting and believing in his undeserved goodness, what can you foresee that awaits for you in the days and months ahead as you move toward a new beginning?

When the Lord God is invited to be actively present in everything you want to be and do in the days ahead, there will be no obstacle that cannot be subdued. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” so by uniting your life with his, contentment, joy, and peace await you.    

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Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.

~John 13:7 The Message

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Modifications or a Complete Makeover?

The chance for a new beginning is often longed for when life does not meet our expectations. In the early days of our country, individuals would pack up and move to a new frontier in search of a better life. While a new beginning may be desired, it is possible to make modifications rather than going for a complete makeover. 

Modifications are needed when life is not as it should or could be. While old habits are hard to give up, it can be done when strong conviction exists to do it. With God creating that conviction, then determination, wisdom and power are available to make needed change.

In Genesis 2:4 God’s name appears as Lord and means "to be", "to live", or "life." Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” By giving Jesus preeminence in your life, he will provide meaning and purpose that will enhance your well-being. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ will empower you to make either needed modifications or a complete makeover.                     

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The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Lord, your faithful love endures forever; do not abandon the work of your hands.

~Psalm 138:8 Christian Standard Bible 

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Truth Brings Forth Trust

One of the most important features of effective communication is our trust in the integrity and honesty of the speaker. That person must be trustworthy because when trust is absent, communication becomes unreliable. An essential principle for effective communication is that our words must represent the highest human values.

An adolescent confided that the most important objective of her life was regaining her mother's trust. A year earlier she had become deceptive in her behaviors and communications. In order to regain her mother’s trust she willingly complied within the boundaries that were compatible with truth and honesty.

Effective communication reflects sound values and virtues. These virtues serve as a guide in times of strife or peace. God's word reminds us to speak the truth in every situation. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." By keeping our trust and faith in Christ Jesus active, we will be able to live with others in that truth.  

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[Jesus prayed,] Your word is the truth. So let this truth make [my followers] completely yours…I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.

~John 17:17,19 Contemporary English Version

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Stay on God's Track

There are several critical transitions in life that each person is destined to experience. A transition imparts an awareness that life has changed and one cannot turn back to a former way of being. What are you willing to change about yourself as this New Year begins to summon you to stay on track for what God has planned for you? 

Samson’s life experienced a critical transition when his enemies seized him and enslaved him for the duration of his life. This happened when he disregarded the boundaries God had set for him. It's analogous to disregarding good health boundaries to enjoy a moment of pleasure.

Even when all seems lost, Jesus does not surrender. He waits for you to realize he is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. So return to him with faith and hope. Then you can face the New Year with confidence your sins are forgiven. Now you can believe the Holy Spirit will be your guide and helper for all the days of your life. Happy New Year!

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Keep your promise, Lord, and forgive my sins, for they are many. Those who have reverence for the Lord will learn from him the path they should follow.

~Psalm 25:11-12 Good News Bible

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Happiness: A New System for Living

What would you say has contributed to the happiness you’ve experienced so far in your life? Focus on just one thing that has made you feel happy and safe. Would that one thing that’s provided happiness include peace with God, or a warm, trusting friendship that’s endured over time?

Does happiness derive from viewing life as God's gift to you, especially when it means caring about the well-being of others? Believing your life benefits God and his Kingdom here on the earth creates purpose and optimism for surviving the troubles of everyday life. Contented people tend to seize opportunities for joy and fulfillment.

Yet we need opportunities for growth and change that fit within a strong system of values and faith. God sent Jesus into the world to create a new system of thinking and believing that was so powerful it would radically change the world. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  His way is the way of purpose and security. 

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God blesses those who obey him; happy the man who puts his trust in the Lord.

~Proverbs 16:20 The Living Bible

God’s Kingdom isn’t about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people.

~Romans 14:17-18 Contemporary English Version

Face Truth – Free Yourself

Everyone is guilty of hiding from the truth, especially if it's painful to face. Truth calls for accountability although it may be difficult to accept. Jesus told Pilate, his examiner, “I came into the world to testify to the truth.” Pilate responded by asking Jesus, "What is truth?"

Pilate didn’t give Jesus a chance to answer because Jesus' answer would have required Pilate to face himself and a difficult situation. Truth lights up the darkest of days because truth eventually points the way to a brighter future, even if the immediate situation creates fear and a sense of dread.

Hiding the truth is a first line of defense when truth is humiliating, embarrassing and unacceptable. When we acknowledge to Christ Jesus the most painful truth imaginable, we then are freed from the burden of hiding or ignoring it. Jesus knows the truth for he is the way, the truth and the life, and it is the truth that will set you free. 

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Jesus said: “When...the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, comes, he will guide you into everything that is true. For he will not be speaking of his own accord but exactly as he hears, and he will inform you about what is to come.

~John 16:13-14 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Christ, an Anchor for Our Souls

Our strongest and most enduring drive is the will to live a healthy, long life. Paralleling the will to live is the drive to achieve and have children, who become our family and legacy. We strive to help our children develop character traits and values that contribute to the well-being of society and the good earth.

Achieving these goals often becomes the source for conflict. While it's difficult to understand what provokes conflict, we can certainly realize its presence and power. Conflict will frequently focus on unmet needs and expectations. Families typically expect each member to be thoroughly mature and responsible but disappointingly discover it isn’t true.

Time and change determine if expectations will be met. When expectations fail and discouragement abounds, our hope still can be anchored in the giver of all life, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is “the way, the truth, and the life,” meaning Jesus will provide resolutions to whatever conflict you have to face. Attach your faith to this truth.  

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God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls.

~Hebrews 6:18-19 Contemporary English Version

Deceit and Tangled Webs

Deception in some form is experienced by everyone. That is not to say a person blatantly deceives but may stretch the truth to get what is wanted or to cover one's tracks in stressful situations. Deception is not unique to our society but is cited in every ancient culture. However, it is not blessed or condoned by God.

  

When desperate times came to the region where Abraham lived, he took his family to Egypt where food was abundant. Upon crossing the border, he encountered the immigration officials of his day. His wife Sarah was a beautiful woman, so the two agreed she would pass as his sister because they feared these officials would kill him and take her.

God cannot be deceived, and deception under any guise is not acceptable to him. Deception blatantly exposes a lack of trust in God's provision to see a desperate situation through to an honorable end. Thank God he intervenes in our foolish decisions to save us from disaster like the situation Abraham and Sarah created for themselves.  

Trust in Change to Bring Improvement - Part 2

One main component of conflict is unmet expectations that result in disappointment. As a college freshman, a promising athlete had high hopes of playing sports, but a serious injury kept him benched. As he improved, he fully expected to be allowed to play, but the coach refused. Anger and depression followed the disappointment.

The conflict he experienced with the coach became unbearable because his primary reason for attending college was to play sports. Bitterly disillusioned, he dropped out of college. Coincidentally, a friend later asked him to go to the driving range and hit some golf balls. Here he discovered he had a knack for driving the ball.

During the pain of disappointment and failure, this young man found an inroad for change that helped him let go of bitterness caused by unmet expectations. God in his mercy gave him a way to find direction, meaning and purpose in life. Jesus assures us he is the way, the truth, and the life. In Jesus, there is hope and light. He heals the heartbroken.  

Conscience, Courage and Confidence - Part 3

As a late adolescent, one of the most amazing concepts I encountered was that as a person, as a Christian, I had the privilege of choosing what to do with my life. True to form, as with most adolescents, as I matured so did my thinking patterns.

Deuteronomy 30:19 encourages you to “choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, and listen to his voice while holding fast to him all your days.” Is the failure to choose God, in effect, choosing to die? To choose life is to choose Christ Jesus, for he said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

The choice is critical, and the option is life and the blessings from obeying God. Choosing Jesus and his word is choosing life filled with meaning and purpose. No matter what circumstances you’re facing, choosing to trust Jesus is choosing life filled with hope, adventure and security. May God be with you.  

Bouncing Back and Pressing On - Part 3

Society has always needed heroes, both real and imagined. These heroes, whether men, women, or children, demonstrate unusual courage in times of crisis or great need. Ordinary people are saddened or angered when their heroes fall short of expectations. We express admiration, however, for those who display resilience and recover with dignity.

Resilience enables a person to bounce back from failures to face their shortcomings. The alternative is to continue holding on to anger and remaining reluctant to admit wrongs, such as acting in ways that hurt others and damage their relationships. Even when threatened by great loss, any semblance of repentance is strangely absent.

When repentance is rejected, the heart is hardened and sin gains a foothold. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." Jesus is more than a hero. He is Lord and Savior and able to melt a heart of stone by forgiving the worst sin imaginable. God's grace will sustain you through any hardship following your choice to change.

Damaged Integrity: Restoring and Rebuilding - Part 2

There's an interesting biographical book and movie called "Catch Me if You Can" about a man who was skilled in creating identities that allowed him to remain a fugitive. To him it was an art as much as it was an escape from justice. God equips us with gifts and talents, but we have the responsibility of choosing whether to use our God-given intelligence and skills for good or for evil.

Our integrity is measured by how we choose to use what God assigns us. Integrity is designed to be a guide for making godly choices. Integrity will serve as a guard against reacting detrimentally to oneself or others. In the Bible, Job is projected as a man of integrity, for in his darkest days he refused to abandon what he knew was right for him.

Being deceptive can harm or even destroy our integrity. Choose to change by believing God's purpose and plan replicates what is good and right for you. Trust God to give you wisdom to act on what will support the highest level of integrity. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."