I want you to consider a counter intuitive thought today–what would happen if your goals for 2023 focused on SURRENDER over SUCCESS?      HERE’S WHY: God wants surrender over success. Obedience over excellence. Trust over triumph.      The pursuit of excellence tortures the soul. Surrender frees it.        Pursuing excellence as a way to be PERFECT is wrong. Christ-like perfection is impossible...

Try to picture being arrogant and thankful at the same time. It’s IMPOSSIBLE. No wonder God commands us to be thankful (Colossians 3:16–17). And since it’s Thanksgiving week, there is no better time to acknowledge that command.      Let’s start with this powerful truth: THANKFULNESS pairs humility and joy to knock out selfishness.      But getting that done is anything but automatic. Why is thankfulness...

His transformation was as radical as it gets: He went from being a Christian-hater to becoming one of Christianity’s greatest voices for God.        “Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.” Acts 9:18        The one who was dead in sin became alive to righteousness. The one who was blind could now see clearly. The...

I was falling prey to “Satan’s Veil” and knew I had only seconds to choose! The enemy’s number-one goal is to separate us from the source of life—Jesus Christ—and he uses three tactics to veil our judgment and accomplish his wicked schemes: A strained relationship with our Savior. A clouded mind. A heart riddled with doubt and indecision.      A compromise here, a shortcut there, and the patterns...

Suddenly, Scripture began to stab at my heart, warning me to make a change … FAST!   Paul wrote some stinging words to a compromising early church, yet I couldn’t help thinking he was talking directly to me:   “Don’t be naïve. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of...

“Be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18   In ALL circumstances, really? How can we be thankful and full of gratitude when our life hits turbulence or even crashes?   That was the question just posed to me by a member of our global online tribe. And when I read it, my first thought was: “I need...

We all want to call the shots in life.   No doubt you’ve experienced the hyper two-year-old who deliberately puts one foot over the line, testing the boundaries set by her weary parents.   Then there’s the teenager who totally shuts you out of his secret online world … and has managed to find a way around the security measures you added to his cell phone.   And, of course, who can...

“Something’s gone wrong,” my friend told me, his face strained and his eyes tired. “Every day I feel guilty because I am not growing spiritually. And to be totally honest, I don’t have a clue what God is like … or what he wants from me. Instead, I play church and act as if I have it all together. But inside, my faith is moldy.”      My friend continued to share his spiritual struggles, explaining...

I got trapped fixating on PERFECTION this morning. So I prayed immediately and asked God for a reminder of what I already knew. Something I had allowed to wander away as today’s sun struggled to find an opening through a darkened sky. I started by remembering that seeking perfection is, and has always been, WRONG. What’s different today is how high the stakes have shot through the roof. Yes, perfection...

I know how to give my attitude toward EXPECTATIONS to God. But when the calendar turned to August this year, it was as if I had forgotten it all. I got KNOCKED DOWN emotionally when things weren’t going as planned. When people weren’t acting like I expected them to act. When my mood wasn’t on the right balance beam.   My reaction? I went straight to God to refresh what I already knew but temporary...