five days with Paul {day one}

{I was asked back in April to join my church's devotional writing team. Each writer is given a chunk of Scripture to write about for five days. I'm so thankful that God gave me this opportunity. My turn to write came two weeks ago, and I thought I'd share it with you.

So, this week? Let's spend some time with Paul as we read through what God laid on my heart...}


Today's Bible verses:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

~Philippians 4:4-9

Today's words are from Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. He loved the people he was writing to, and he wanted God's best for them. Today we find Paul running over a few last things with His friends...a few essentials before he ends his letter. 

I know that sometimes life gets complicated. It can seem overwhelming at times. Today? Today, let's focus on four simple things straight from the Bible. Four uncomplicated things that we can do to grow in Christ today. Are you ready? Here goes...

Choose joy. Having joy seems so easy when life is going smoothly, but...what if you are grieving or hurting or feeling forgotten? What if you have lost your job or a friendship or your hope? Joy is a choice. It's not always the easiest choice, but it's always the best one. Smile and laugh and sing...even in the toughest times.

Pray the moment worry appears. Worry comes naturally to us human beings. Sometimes we can even get to feeling proud that we're worried...that perhaps our worries make us look like we care more deeply about a situation. But worry doesn't fit into God's plan for us. In fact, the Bible reminds us that worry doesn't get us anywhere. It doesn't make anything better, ever. When you and I sense that rising feeling of dread or worry, God's advice to us is to pray. Just pray. In that moment, right then and there. Pray and give it over to God...He's the One who can do something about the situation anyhow. God promises us that peace will come when we choose prayer over worry. 

Choose to think of beautiful things. You've heard the saying "garbage in, garbage out", right? Paul reminds us that lovely and praiseworthy things are what we should be thinking about. Think about junk, and you get junk. When you find yourself focused on less than God's best today, stop and choose to focus on something else. Today, try in God's strength to fix your mind on the things that He wants you to. 

Go for it. Today...put into practice what you've seen and heard. It's great to attend a worship service every weekend, but if you and I don't put into practice what we've seen and heard, what good is it? Paul assures us that, if we take steps to live out what we've learned, that "the God of peace will be with you".

Will you and I be perfect at living this out everyday? No. And that's okay. But will we be growing and learning and living into God's dream for us? Absolutely.

So, today? Go for it. Leave worry behind and pray. Fix your thoughts on honorable things. And put it all into practice. Live it out and grow in Christ today.

Many blessings,
Deni