There is an expression I have heard from some veteran public figures, which is, “Don’t read your own press clippings.” The reason is that they don’t give you an accurate picture. You are not as bad as your critics say, and you are not as good as your fans may say.

It is interesting that thousands of years ago Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:21, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.”

It is arguably more difficult to maintain one’s priorities and character when everything is going great and people think you are amazing, than it is when things are going terribly. When people praise us, it is easy to let it build up our egos, and make us begin to feel superior to others. Before this happens, we should think about where our ability to succeed originates. God gave us the talents and opportunities to allow our success. We should direct the glory toward him.

I have noticed this frequently with some Christian athletes, who make an obvious gesture to point toward the sky after a great play, giving God the credit and thanks for their successful performance.

There is a Latin phrase that I like to keep in mind when I do something “praiseworthy.” Soli Deo Gloria, which means to God Alone the Glory.

Dear Lord, You gave us the ability to achieve. Help us pass the test of being praised, and remember we are not better than others, we are blessed by you. In Jesus name. Amen.

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It is pretty obvious to all of us that we have unique personality types. Many of us have taken tests to determine our personality profiles. You may have heard of the Myers-Briggs personality types, or the, well known, “type A” description of high energy, intense, driven people.

It would make sense then that we have different spiritual gifts that fit our personalities. It would also make sense that certain gifts in others connect with us in our Christian development. Some of us love to hear the deep meaning and context of bible stories, and others empathize with the feelings experienced by the people in the stories.

Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 saying, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.”

God made all of us and knows we are different, we learn differently, teach differently, and love differently. It is important to recognize this to avoid wasting our energy on comparing techniques trying to decide which is “better.” They are all good if they are centered on the one thing that we all have in common, the need for God’s grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord, you have made such a beautiful fabric of people, personalities, and characters in our world. Help us remember that if the focus is on what You did for us through Jesus, the techniques and styles are just different ways you are reaching your people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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We all have had those experiences where we say or think, “I just can’t take it anymore” Whether it is a difficult situation at work, overwhelmed with the housework, homework, challenging people, struggling with finances, addictions, or health problems. When we want to give up, what we really need to do is to give our problems over to God.

God wants us at the place where we submit ourselves and our plans to him. Ideally we can do this without needing to get to the end of our rope, but many times the only way we get to that point where we submit to God is when we have no place else to go. Paul tells us, however, what God told him. 2 Corinthians 12:9, God said, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

When we are weak and discouraged, we need to as 1 Peter 5:7 says, “cast all our cares on Him, for he cares for you.” In our weakness, God’s love and power will be there.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that we don’t have to wait until we want to give up in order to come to you and surrender ourselves, but when we do come to that low point, we thank you that your grace and power will be right there for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Often when people speak about forgiveness, they talk about how we should forgive others, which we should. We also however need to remember that God forgives us when we repent, or apologize for our sins.

Some people have done things they are so ashamed of that they can’t seem to accept the forgiveness God promises. That is a mistake. The devil wants us to feel unforgivable and lead us away from the compassion and forgiveness of God.

Psalm 103:11-12 says. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” NIV

Everyone can be forgiven. With the ultimate gift of compassion, God sent Jesus to take the punishment for all our sins. Accept this gift, ask for forgiveness, and just as important, accept it.

Lord Jesus we cannot begin to understand the depth of Your love. Help us accept Your forgiveness and move forward living our lives for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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The dictionary defines the word worship with the following phrases: “extravagant respect, admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.”

So what do we do if we have extravagant respect, admiration for or devotion to something? We dedicate time on our schedule for it, we take time and energy to learn more about it, we purchase books, magazines, on-line subscriptions to stay up to date, we buy t-shirts, go to events, talk about it with others with the same interests, and so on.

The question is, Does this description of worship sound more like our activities revolving around our favorite sport, team, athlete, TV show, musician, band, movie star, business person, or our activities revolving around God?

The first commandment given to Moses by God in Exodus 34:14 Is, ” For you must worship no other gods, but only Jehovah, for he is a God who claims absolute loyalty and exclusive devotion.” TLB.

Dear Lord, Help us see when we are putting other “gods” before you, so we can correct ourselves. Help us remember that putting you above all else, and trusting you will give us peace and joy for a better life here on earth, and life eternally. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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