When I was pregnant, I often thought of Mary, the mother of Jesus:
Let’s think about Jesus in the womb. The God-so-loved-the-world heart starting to beat. The feet nailed to the cross, ten tiny toes with even tinier toenails. The mouth that spoke the world into existence sucking the thumb of the hand that broke the bread.
Sacred life, indeed!
Luke Goodrich has written a book, “Free to Believe,” on the status of religious freedom in the United States. In an article from The Christian Post, Mr. Goodrich comments on the attitudes of American Christians:
“If you don’t have a firm biblical understanding of religious freedom as a Christian, you are prone to living in fear in the midst of religious freedom conflicts rather than joy. You’re prone to hostility toward your perceived enemies rather than loving your enemies.”
Yes, there’s been a shift in the acceptance of Christianity, but we are far from the oppression and violence experienced by Christians in other parts of the world. Let us maintain a prayerful perspective:
Lord, we humbly and gratefully acknowledge that up till now believing in You has come easily to us. We lift up our brothers and sisters who truly suffer for their faith–strengthen and protect them, Lord! Fill us with Your love for those who don’t love You. May we focus more on the state of their souls than on our right to practice our faith. May they be won to You through our love.
“Character is made by many acts;
it may be lost by a single one.”
Credited to Aristotle (384-322 BC)
Ancient, simple wisdom. Building character takes time. Destroying character (yours or someone else’s) doesn’t. 
Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)
We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
“Character,” in Greek, dokimé, meaning approved through testing, genuine.
Paul makes it clear: no hard times, no good character. Suffering is the cost of character.
Proverbs 31:10 (NIV)
A wife of noble character who can find?
“Noble character.” In Hebrew, chayil, meaning strength, efficiency, wealth, like an army–valiant and powerful. Other Bible translations say excellent (ESV), virtuous (NKJV), capable (GNT), of worth (YLT).
Perhaps the best description of this noble character comes later in the chapter:
Proverbs 31:12
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
Bringing good, every day. Doing no harm, every day. A noble goal, indeed.
“The virtue of a man ought to be measured,
not by his extra-ordinary exertions,
but by his everyday conduct.”
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
The character of a man [or woman] is evident in the little things.
Luke 16:10 (ESV)
One who is faithful in a very little
is also faithful in much.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963
The content of your character. How’s that look?
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God.
Let us judge by grace, not race.
Coming soon: Blind Eyes Opened: The Truth about Sex Trafficking in America. This Christian movie will be shown one night only, January 23 (unfortunately, not in a theater near me). Even if you can’t see the movie, you can support the cause:
From the Blind Eyes Opened Campaign Guide:
“One of the key objectives of BLIND EYES OPENED is to offer hope that things can change. In addition to educating and raising awareness, the movie explains that the transformational power of Jesus Christ, in the hands of His church, is the solution to ending sex trafficking in America. Through Christ, His Church, and each one of us, there is Hope.”
Let us pray:
Lord God, use this movie to launch awareness not just of the evils of trafficking, but also of the power of transformation–for both victims and perpetrators. Send a powerful wave of change over this exploitation of women, girls and boys. May waters of truth flood the deep world of sex-trafficking, addiction, abortion and pornography. May those caught up in this dark space see the light of hope and run to the shelter of God’s power, in Jesus’ name.
Lord Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me.
The Jesus Prayer–seven short words, prayerfully repeated by Christians for more than two thousand years–proves big faith is built on simple words.
The first half of the Jesus Prayer focuses on God.
The second half focuses on me:
Have mercy on me.
In these few words, I confess that I’m a sinner. I acknowledge that I’m lost. I admit that I need to be saved. I understand that I can’t do this for myself.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and The
will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.
Confession–it’s good for the soul.
