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.

Do ever have a thought that appears in your mind, a terrible thought of revenge, rage, envy, greed, or lust, and wonder where it came from? I believe that this is one of the ways we are drawn into temptation by the devil.

Paul teaches us what to do when this occurs, in Colossians 3:5, he says, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

How do we put these thoughts to death as Paul describes, we starve and suffocate them from our attention, and change our focus to something better. In Colossians 3:2 Paul says, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” We should pray for deliverance from the temptation.

Dear Lord, we are human, subject to temptation, and routinely fail to avoid it. Help us, and give us the strength to think of the things of heaven, and kill the sinful thoughts planted in our minds. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a personal development expression I heard that goes, “There is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the growth zone.”

In a way, this is what Paul meant in Hebrews 12:10-11 where he wrote, “but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

My definition of discipline is, “knowing the right thing to do, and doing it.” God’s discipline may be helping us see the right thing so we will do it, or it may be giving us discomfort doing the wrong things until we do the right thing. Either way, the right thing is often the more difficult and uncomfortable thing to do.

When we are experiencing difficulty and challenges, we should try to think, “Is God disciplining me for some reason?” “What am I supposed to be learning from this negative experience?”

We know, however, as Paul says in Hebrews 12:6, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, He disciplines each one he accepts as his child.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for caring about us enough to discipline us. Help us see our challenges and discomforts in the right context so that we may grow and become better servants for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

As Christians we want to do God’s will, and be guided by the Holy Spirit in our actions and decisions. Although we may try to listen, it is not always easy to hear God and know what He wants us to do.

Paul gives us some help in figuring this out, in Galatians 5:22 where he writes, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

So we know if our thoughts, decisions, and actions lead us to these characteristics, we are heading in the right direction.

Dear Lord, thank you for the guidance you provide us in the bible, and give us the strength to follow your will to produce these “fruit of the Spirit.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

As Christians, our ultimate guide to for life is to be like Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 20:28, Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We also should be focused on serving each other.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:13, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

Dear Lord, what a blessing it is for us that you came to serve and save us, help us follow this example and serve each other in love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.