Keep Your Eyes Straight Ahead

 

By Andrea Merrell

So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote

in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it,

turning either to the right or to the left.

Joshua 23:6 NLT

 

As far as cars go, I’m a pretty good driver. I obey the laws, pay attention, and watch my speed—well, except for the two warnings I’ve received lately for going over the 45 MPH limit on our main road that has been 55 MPH for over fifty years.

The problem I have is not being able to look around and enjoy the scenery while I’m driving. When my eyes veer to the left or right, so does my car. I have to keep my eyes straight ahead and focus my attention on where I’m headed.

It’s the same in our walk with the Lord. In fact, God told Joshua not to deviate from His instructions and not to turn to the left or right. That’s how we keep from getting distracted and led in the wrong direction.

When we keep our eyes on the One who lights our path and guides our steps, we’ll never fall into a ditch or off a cliff—or end up in the wrong place.

Where's your focus?

 

 Photo by Andraz Lazic on Unsplash

The Importance of a Good Self-Image

 

By Andrea Merrell

You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

Isaiah 43:4b NLT

As someone who struggled for years with a poor self-image and low self-esteem, I learned how it can not only rob us of God’s blessings in our life but also His ability to bless others through us.

How we see ourselves—our opinion, beliefs, and attitude—is so important. But where does that opinion come from? How is it built within us?

The answer is primarily by other people. Especially those who are most important to us. When they continually speak negative words to us and about us, we start to believe them. That’s what happened to me beginning in my childhood. One writer says it’s like a virus downloaded into our computer, destroying everything in its path.

The key is in finding out what God thinks about us. What He says. And knowing that His opinion is the only one that really counts.

We can never surpass or get beyond the image that is firmly ingrained in us until we learn to see ourselves as He sees us: Redeemed. Righteous. Of great worth. Loved. His friend. His child. That’s the way we discover our God-given potential and move toward our God-given destiny.

Want to change your self-image? Change your self-talk. Find out what the Word says about you, then shut out all the negative voices.

God says to each of us, “You are precious to me, and I love you with an unconditional love that will never end.”

What more could we possibly need?

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Taylor Smith.

 

Know When to Move On

 

By Andrea Merrell

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking

 forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the

 race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, 

through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

 

“Things change,” my friend said. “It seems nothing ever stays the same. I guess it’s time for me to move on.”

Her words caused me to look back over the years at all the seasons of my life I thought would last forever. Jobs. Relationships. A home church. But as the old saying goes, “When one door closes, another one opens.”

What I learned through each scenario is that when we belong to the Lord, He has a plan and purpose for each of us. There are seasons of our life that may last a few days, a few months, or even a few years. The good news is He gives us grace for each season—and when it ends, so does the grace. That’s when we know it’s time to move on.

I’ve tried to hang on at times, even when I knew a certain season had come to an end. It’s easy to become a creature of habit and resist change. But change is never a bad thing when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide.

Paul said he had learned to be content in any given circumstance (Philippians 4:11). He made the best of it and did what he was called to do. But he also knew when it was time to move on to his next assignment. He changed his focus, forgot about the past, and looked forward to what lay ahead.

Don’t spend your time looking back, grieving over what was. Keep your eyes on the Lord, as Paul did, and let Him lead you into your next adventure.

Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash

Always Be Prepared

 

By Andrea Merrell

The day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV

Why is it that when we’re out running errands and looking our worst, we run into someone we know—usually someone we haven’t seen in a long time who doesn’t know we don’t normally look that bad?

Or what about the times an unexpected guest drops by when the house is a wreck or we’re still in our PJs? Why didn’t they come two days ago when the house was immaculate and we were dressed?

Maybe we should adopt the Boy Scout motto: Always be prepared. This can apply to every area of our life but especially to our Christian walk.

We know that the day of Jesus’ return is getting nearer, yet no one knows the exact moment—no one except the Father. The Bible says Jesus will come as a thief in the night. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Will we be watching and waiting? Will we be ready?

It’s easy to get caught up in the problems and anxiety of everyday life, allowing our attention to be drawn away to other trivial matters. We go along our merry way thinking we have plenty of time to bring our focus back to the Lord.

But the Bible says in Luke 24, Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly. (vs 34 NKJV).

Friend, Jesus could come back today. Will He find you waiting and watching for His return?

Always be prepared.

Photo by Jinsoo Choi on Unsplash

The Wrong Emoji

 

By Andrea Merrell

Be happy with those who are happy, 

and weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:15 NLT

Emojis are everywhere. They have infiltrated our technology, and we all love and use them. There is an emoji for just about anything you can imagine—from love to tears to shock to anger to prayer and everything in between. We like to choose our favorites when responding to a text, post, or email.

But have you ever inserted the wrong one?

I have a friend who accidentally inserted a laughing face when responding to a very serious situation and prayer request, causing confusion and hurt feelings.

It made me think about how important it is to respond and share our feelings with others in the right way, both in our words and body language. It can be very hard to read someone and know what’s really in their heart.

The Bible tells us to be happy with those who are happy. To rejoice and celebrate with them. To share their joy. It also tells us to weep with those who weep. To empathize with them. To share their sorrow.

In a cruel world full of insensitivity, it’s critical for believers to let the love of God flow through us to others.

The next time you respond to someone—whether through technology or face-to-face—make sure you convey the right message.

 Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and farconville.