Life is Short: Focus on God and Dream with Him

Life is short.

Life’s too short to delay living how we were always meant to live.

We were created to live a life focused on God and spiritual things.

And the Lord wants us to dream big with Him.

Because life is short, God calls us to live a life focused on His purpose for us, the true desires of our heart, walking in the Spirit, and the path to righteous living.

So let’s look at 20 of these areas that help us live this kind of life with our God in this present world.

Life is short: Focus on Brand-new

(1.) Beginnings. “The point in time or space at which something starts.”(Google) The world, life, time and space all started with God. So it makes perfect sense to see God as the God of new beginnings. Every new day, job, venture, relationship, season, and so on starts with God, the best beginning to everything.

(2.) Forge new paths. Whether careers, direction, vision, mission, or ministry, remember who makes new paths. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

(3.) Dreams. Dream big ole’ ginormous things only God can pull off. He’s the biggest dreamer of all. Dream with God, you and Him dream best together. 

(4.) Do-overs. Sometimes we get to do something over, other times it’s impossible. Like we cannot undo the past, what’s done is done. But every new day presents opportunities to change our actions, reactions, perspective, words, and outlook.

(5.) Second chances. Everyone hopes for a second chance after forgetting something, messing up, hurting someone, or sinning against God. And we may ask others for a second chance or give them a second chance.  But, without doubt, we serve a God of second chances and countless chances. 

10 Wonderful Attributes to Describe Jesus

What are your favorite ways to describe Jesus?

I remember the first time I heard the name, Jesus, as a child. There is something about that name…about Him.

Since Christ brings us compelling qualities of life when we know Him as Savior and Lord, these central attributes also describe Jesus.

(1.) We describe Jesus as love.

True Love defined means, Jesus. Our lack of love from people never makes the Love of Christ less true. 

Instead, we are loved the way He says we are loved: Love lays down His life for me (John 15:13); perfect Love drives out my fear (1 John 4:18-19), and He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with Love (Psalm 103:4).

(2.) Jesus is mercy.

God sent Mercy from the throne room of heaven to take our place. Beaten, bruised, and pierced with nails, Mercy’s blood spilled on a cross. And Mercy bestowed forgiveness on us to cover our sins.

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5 (ESV)

(3.) Peace describes Jesus.

Peace means the absence of war and conflict and a state of rest. Perhaps we hear Christ referred to as the Prince of Peace.

Applying Self-Control to Every Fruit of the Spirit

Although self-control begins with the word self, we ourselves can’t nurture it, much less muster up the power to practice it—applying it to our lives.

Because self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.

I’d heard about the “freshman fifteen.” But I set out with ample willpower to avoid gaining fifteen pounds as I entered my first year in college.

And you know what? I didn’t gain fifteen pounds. Instead, I gained a little more. Yikes! 

But here’s something we often fail to understand about self-control from a biblical perspective. 

We don’t possess the power to practice self-control, it comes only through the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5 encourages us to walk by the Spirit, not to gratify the desires of the flesh (verse 16).

And the chapter provides a list of fleshly desires such as drunkenness, sexual immorality, impurity, rivalry, strife, jealousy, anger, divisions, dissensions, envy, enmity, sensuality “and things like these” (verses 19-21).

But here’s the stark opposite to the works of the flesh. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

I’ve often wondered why self-control is listed last.

Perhaps self-control is partly gained from allowing the Holy Spirit to grow and cultivate in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. 

So let’s compare and contrast the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit through reflective questions and thoughts.

Applying self-control: love over jealousy and envy.

In what areas do I see jealousy and envy in my life? Ask the Holy Spirit to give me self-control to really love others, even enemies, instead of harboring jealousy. This type of love only comes through a relationship with the Lover of my soul.

Self-control desires true joy instead of false joy. 

Fake joy numbs the pain through alcohol/drunkenness, emotional eating, drugs, including prescription drug abuse, shopping, and so on. How am I currently self-medicating? Ask the Spirit to give me true joy.

3 Ways We Follow Jesus With Complete Abandon

How do we follow Jesus with complete abandon and what does it look like in daily life? 

Because I’ve been following Jesus since sixteen, but I continue to desire to learn how to live it out.

And following Jesus with complete abandon means letting go of—abandoning—all other earthly treasures and idols for Jesus Himself. I follow Jesus and abandon me.

So let’s look at 3 major ways we follow Jesus with abandon and how it affects our life.

(1.) Following Jesus with Complete Abandon: Count the Cost

To come to Christ costs us nothing. But to be a true disciple of Christ costs us everything.

But nothing to everything commands a sizable leap, especially for a college freshman like me with only two years of following Jesus.

Yet, I wanted to jump into every aspect of the Christian life. Still, living on a university campus at eighteen became a whole new world. Since I desired to grow in my faith, I participated in several Christian student groups; Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU).

But I knew the basics about God and eternal life. I understood the great cost to God by sending His Son to take my place on the cross. Jesus gave His life as payment for mine. 

To follow Christ with complete abandonment cost us something. 

Costs like:

• Giving up going our own way. 
• Laying down our personal agenda.
• Trading our kingdom come for God’s Kingdom come. Even when my way feels good or my agenda seems right, my kingdom often crumbles.

Counting the cost equals freedom. A place of completion. Giving it all for the sake of the call.

Hey Friend: Grace Changes Everything 

Hey friend, did you know that grace changes everything?

The Lord has me thinking about grace lately. How it’s the foundation our faith is built on. And how God gives us this gift—His love and mercy and favor underserved by us, yet freely given to us through Christ.

Because grace came in the form of a baby in Bethlehem. Grace grew into a man who spoke about God’s Kingdom and performed miracles. And Grace died on Calvary’s cross, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (ESV) “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16 (ESV)

Since grace changes everything, it changes who we are. It changes our eternal destiny. Also, grace changes how the Lord sees us—under grace, no longer condemned by the enemy or sin.

I’m not sinless but saved, not perfect but forgiven, not rejected but chosen, and not unloved but cherished. This identity in Christ comes through grace, amazing grace.

Here are 5 ways G.R.A.C.E. changes our lives.

G – God paid the price: Grace Changes Everything

Pleading the Blood of Jesus Christ

Pleading the blood started thousands of years ago with God’s people.

But it has more to do with us today than you might think.

First, let’s rewind to the past. A powerful Bible story describes much blood being spilt.

In Exodus 12, the Israelites put blood from a lamb without blemish on two doorposts and the panel above the door of each house.

The Lord’s Passover.

The lamb’s blood provided protection from the final plague. God brought plagues on Pharaoh and the land of Egypt for refusing to release His people from slavery. This particular plague meant every firstborn male, people and animals, would die.

“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:13 (ESV)

After that fatal night, Pharaoh let the people go. And the Lord instructed His people to celebrate the Passover every year.

Blood of the Perfect Lamb of God

Years later, a perfect Lamb without spot or blemish once again provided passover blood. Jesus, God’s Son, willingly gave His life and blood for spiritual death to passover God’s children. Physical death may strike, but spiritual death cannot touch those in Christ.

Believing God Works All Things for Our Good

We believe God works all things for our good, until we don’t.

Because those “until we don’t” reasons include things like tragedy, sickness, loss, unimaginable grief, fizzled dreams, and so on. 

And let’s get really honest here. Life happens and life is full of ups and downs.

So it’s easy to listen to the enemy’s lies during the down-times. Satan’s lies claim God doesn’t have our good in mind. Or else He would not have let this thing happen to us.

But even when I’m at the end of my rope, I know God is good, does good, and works behind the scenes for my good. I may not understand the whys or what He is doing, but it doesn’t change who God is or His good nature. 

Our circumstances never change God’s goodness.

So let’s remind our hearts of the Bible verse containing this promise.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV) 

Notice the promise is not that all things are good, but all the things work toward our good.

God Works All Things: The Promise of Good

God has promised good to us. 

The Lord has plans for our good, now and in our future. 

Since the beginning of time, God weaved His goodness throughout the chapters of His-story. It started with creation when He saw everything He made was good. 

We see God’s goodness when He rescued His people. Goodness revealed in Bethlehem’s stable and narrated in Jesus’ ministry. Goodness told at the foot of a bloody cross and reported as Victor in an empty tomb.

Also, we see His goodness in our lives. We are living testimonies to God’s goodness. God is good and does good. (Psalm 119:68)

How Do We Cultivate an Undivided Heart to God?

God created us for an undivided heart to Him.

But our hearts learned to partly put our trust in other things in this life.

Ever since I gave my heart to the Lord at sixteen, I’ve heard God’s people speak about whole-hearted devotion to the Lord. Also, how committed believers protect their heart from becoming divided.

Because the Lord never meant for the human heart to belong completely to anything or anyone other than Him.

In college, I chose 2 Chronicles 16:9a as my life verse:

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (NASB 1995, emphasis added)

According to Dictionary.com, the phrase to and fro means “a continuous or regular movement backward and forward.”

The Lord is looking for people with this kind of undivided devotion and heart for Him.

So where do we even start and how do we go about it? The Bible is the best place to discover the key to giving our heart completely to God—whole hearted and undivided devotion.

An Undivided Heart: Love, Serve, Seek

We love, serve, and seek the Lord with all our heart. This is an undivided heart.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV, emphasis added)

Did You Know Hope Has a Name? Jesus

Do you remember the first time you heard the name, Jesus? 

While I’m not sure of my exact age, I know I was a child. And when I turned sixteen, Jesus became my salvation, my Savior. 

But living the Christian life in this world isn’t easy. Followers of Christ need strength from the Lord, direction, and we need to grow as a believer.

Also, we need hope.

The world offers many forms of hope. Yet, they fizzle and fade away. But, God made big plans to bring Hope to a hopeless people. Hope’s birth took place in a lowly stable. Hope grew and carried out the heavenly Father’s will—even death on a cross. 

Hallelujah! Hopeless never gets the last word. Hope rose from the dead when Jesus Christ conquered the grave. 

True hope is only found in Jesus Christ. Hope has a name. Jesus.

Let’s look at 4 ways we have hope in Jesus alone.

H – Hope has a name. Jesus.  

Jesus came to die for me and for you—for our salvation and the salvation of all willing to embrace real Hope in the Lamb of God.

God sent Jesus from the throne room of heaven to take our place. Beaten, bruised, and pierced with nails, His blood spilled on a cross. And He bestowed forgiveness on us to cover our sins.

Jesus saves us from condemnation, wrath, ourselves, other gods, and eternal death. But salvation also brings new and abundant life with Jesus as the Savior of our souls and a spiritual way of life. 

Jesus is our hope for this life and the next.

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” I Peter 1:13 (ESV, emphasis added)

O – Overflowing with abundant Hope.

Unashamed Jesus Christ is My Lord

How can we be unashamed Jesus Christ is Lord?

Unashamed. Google defines it as “expressed or acting openly and without guilt or embarrassment.”

Embarrassed about my Lord and Savior? Never. 

Oh I’m sure there were instances in the past when I held back or shied away from sharing my spiritual belief, speaking the name of Jesus, and full disclosure of my life in Christ.

But you know what? Not anymore.

Sure, I mess up, fail, and sin. So, I pray for a show-and-tell life. That my words tell others who I worship and my actions show others who I worship. 

Still, sometimes we fall prey to the mindset that only at church and Christian events or missions, are appropriate and even expected places for unashamed worship of Jesus.

Unashamed Jesus is in My Life

Instead, it’s about out there in the real world, on the job, on social media, and among unbelievers—some may even be antagonistic toward Jesus and toward us.

Since I’m a Christian speaker, blogger, and writer, I come under attack. Often, this spiritual warfare brings me to a crossroad where I choose to either stop or keep going.

For example, these attacks often happen on social media. But this is nothing new. You see, the posts are about Jesus. Like a post from this scripture, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16 (ESV)

Jesus Christ. 

King of Kings. 

Lord of Lords.

People accuse me of saying “dumb things,” of “blasphemy,” and “building a platform” for myself. On another post about Christ, a person stated, “Keep your religious bull**** to yourself.” Then he signed it “God.”