How many times have we golfers, if you are a golfer, reminded ourselves to keep our heads down during the swing, but still occasionally still make the mistake of looking up before completing the swing. Or, were you ever told, not to end a sentence with a preposition, or to count to 10 before speaking when you are angry.

There are many things in life that sound simple enough, but are very difficult to achieve in practice.

Paul gives us another rule in Philippians 4:6, that sounds easy, but is challenging to practice. he says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

“Don’t worry,” is not as simple as it sounds, but it is worth practice. When we feel the concern becoming worry, remember to pray, and put the issue in God’s hands.

Dear Lord, you tell us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “cast our cares on you, because you care about us.” Help us keep practicing this skill of giving our worries to you in prayer and thanking you for addressing them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I think one thing that many of us get wrong, when we come to God for help with the difficulties in our lives, is complaining and looking for God’s sympathy. We sometimes think if we show God how difficult things are for us, out of pity, he will help us. The problem with that approach is, it is not what God tells he responds to.

God responds to our faith. In Hebrews 11:6 we are told, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

God knows the challenges we face in our lives. In some cases he is allowing these difficulties to occur to bring us closer to him. So complaining to God about these things will not influence him. He tells us is to respond to our challenges with faith. When we want God to help us, we should come to him with a faithful petition like:

Dear Lord, You know the challenges we are facing, whether these are things we brought on ourselves, or they are trials you are allowing us to experience, to make us better, we come to you with no doubt that you will bring us through these trials better, stronger and more confident in your unlimited power. For this we thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In modern times we make a distinction between our brain and our heart as the separated places where we think rationally, our brains, and feel emotionally, our heart. In ancient times, they had a different understanding. The brain may have been where information was received and processed, but the heart was where it was considered, evaluated and put to use.

Proverbs 4:20-23 writes, “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

St. Benedict expressed this text in a beautiful way, “Incline the ear of your heart, Receive willingly and carry out effectively your loving father’s advice.”

Dear Lord, it is difficult for us to open ourselves up fully to your advice. Our preconceptions, prejudices, pride, and fear fight against it. Help us open up the ears of our hearts to receive your wisdom and direction. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

A video I watched that you may also have seen, included a quote that stuck with me. “Love builds a bridge over which truth can pass.”

This is a good message for us to remember when we feel the inclination to criticize or others and explain why their behavior or beliefs are wrong.

I have heard it said another way, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:25-26, “Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil’s trap.”

Dear Lord, It was your love for us that built a bridge for us to be saved. Help us look with love on others first before gently providing instruction, thereby building the bridge for your truth to find acceptance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have you experienced one of those moments when you were working to solve a difficult problem, or learn something very difficult, like a math problem, a riddle, a rubix cube, or a new piece of music. You work and think and practice, then in what seems to be a split second, something clicks and all the pieces come together. You have it figured out.

In John 20:8-9, John is writing about the empty tomb after Jesus’ resurrection, “Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.”

Jesus had told the disciples that he would have to die, but would rise again, many times. However, they could not understand. They had the scriptures, Jesus’ stories and illustrations, the facts of his capture, persecution and crucification but could not put them together. Finally with the empty tomb, all the pieces of information came together in their minds and they understood and believed.

This is why it is so important for us to read and study the Bible, go to worship, and fellowship with other believers. We all have un-answered questions, and just maybe that one piece of information, or inspiration we receive will tie it together and we will understand.

We have the joy of knowing the whole story. Jesus fulfilled the scriptures, was crucified, died, and rose, so that we can be saved and say, “He is Risen….He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!”

Praise and glory to you Lord for the miraculous gift of salvation we receive through Jesus’ Resurrection. Amen.