Living Love Letters

 

By Andrea Merrell

You are living letters written by Christ,

not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God.

2 Corinthians 3:3 TPT

 

My husband recently told one of our granddaughters that she should learn to “read the room” when she enters. In other words, don’t burst in talking, complaining, or being rowdy. Take a breath and give yourself time to discern the mood and atmosphere. Know what’s going on before you interrupt.

Shortly after, I heard someone talking about the same thing, only from a different slant: “Are you reading the room or is the room reading you?”

Some call our lives a book, others a letter written to the people around us. If that’s true, what message are we sending? What is our life saying to others? Or maybe the better question is what should our life be saying to others?

The apostle Paul said, “You are living letters written by Christ, not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God.” And the previous verse says our letters are “recognized and read by everybody.”

As God’s children, we become new creations, replacing the old with the new. Our sins are washed away, and we are made “as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18 NKJV). A clean slate. That’s when the Holy Spirit begins to write our new story.

The Word for You Today says, “Nothing is more needed today than a living portrait of Jesus reflected in the lives of His redeemed people. So, deliver your love letter to whoever crosses your path.”

Are you ready?

Theo Crazzolara on Unsplash

What Is Abundant Life?

 

By Andrea Merrell

 

I have come that they may have life,

and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 NKJV

 

“God has promised us abundant life. What does that look like to you?”

The question was posed to a group of young adults, and the answers were quite a surprise to the leader. The best of everything. More money than I can spend. Having whatever we want. Being wealthy and never having problems.

Unrealistic at best. One writer calls those expectations anti-gospel. The ideas point to a generation growing up with a sense of entitlement instead of humility and surrender to the One who promised us “life more abundantly.”

“But the Bible says that God gives good and perfect gifts,” some might argue. That leads to whose definition of good we’re talking about—ours or God’s.

We have to remember that God’s view is very different from ours. He expects us as His children to produce the Fruit of the Spirit. To walk in love. To possess godly wisdom,  knowledge, and understanding. To be filled with peace, love, and joy. To be compassionate. To be people of integrity. In other words, to be more like Jesus.

So, what is the “greatest good” we can receive? Matthew tells us to seek the kingdom of God first, above all else (6:33). The Passion translation says it like this: “So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.”

Are you ready to experience true abundant life?

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Keep It in the Right Gear

 By Andrea Merrell

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send 

in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to

 your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

John 14:26 NKJV

I stepped on the gas, and nothing happened. That’s when I realized the car was in Neutral (N). Seems the only time that comes in handy is in the car wash.

To keep our vehicles in motion and moving forward, they must be in Drive (D). It’s the same in our walk with the Lord. To achieve our goals, pursue our purpose, and fulfill our destiny, we have to keep moving forward.

That’s not to say there’s never a time to use the other gears. Sometimes we need to shift into Reverse (R)—not to go backward and dwell on the past but to reverse negative and harmful attitudes and behaviors.

And what about Park (P)? Is there ever a time we should shift into park and turn off the engine? Absolutely. That’s when we take time to find a quiet, solitary place to spend time with the Lord and rest peacefully in His presence.

Each gear is essential and has its own unique purpose. We just have to learn how and when to use them properly. The best way to do this is to trust our Helper, the Holy Spirit who’s always ready to lead and guide us.

How about you? Are you keeping it in the right gear?

Photo by Syed Ali on Unsplash

The Truth about God’s Kingdom

 

By Andrea Merrell

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

 

Have you ever considered how God’s ways are contrary to the world’s theology. Some call His methods upside down or backward. But in reality, everything in God’s kingdom is a paradox, a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory proposition.

For example, in The Word for You Today, Carolyn Arends says, “The world offers promises full of emptiness. But Easter offers emptiness full of promise. Empty cross, empty tomb, empty graveclothes … all full of promise.”

To take it further, let’s look at some things that seem counterintuitive to common sense:

• Love your enemies.
• Do good to those who hate you.
• Pray for those who persecute you.
• The more you give, the more you get in return.
• When you’re weak, His strength is made perfect in your weakness.
• God uses foolish things to confound the wise.
• The meek inherit the earth—not the strong and powerful.
• Lose your life so you gain it.

We might view God’s ways as upside-down, but when we embrace them, He turns our life right-side-up because His ways are always best.

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

Broken or Blessed?

 

By Andrea Merrell

 

My troubles turned out all for the best.

Psalm 119:71 MSG

 

 

“My life has been really hard. I’ve been through so much,” my friend said. “How could God allow all that stuff to happen to me? I feel crushed and hopeless.”

Another friend recounted many of her bad life experiences and told me how much she had grown through them. She was thankful.

One broken, one blessed.

Weighing the two conversations caused me to look back over my own life experiences, both good and bad. All the joy and all the pain. Thankfully, I can now see how God used those painful situations to change me.

The psalmist said, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:71 NLT). The Message translation puts it this way: “My troubles turned out all for the best.”

God doesn’t cause our pain, but He certainly uses it to teach, mold, and mature us. He doesn’t waste a single moment. He has helped me see how each experience I’ve gone through has shaped me into the person I am today. And … He’s still working on me.

I am truly blessed. How about you?

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