Many of us know the deteriorating effect of “cheating” when we are trying to give up a vice, or maintain a new positive habit. Whether it be sticking to a diet, or exercise routine, or quiting smoking, or foul language, “cheating” a little bit starts the process of breaking down our resolve, and it doesn’t take too long for us to be back at square one.

Peter writes about this in 1 Peter 2:11, “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”

He is telling us to avoid those things that we know in our hearts, are not God’s will, because giving in will open up the opportunity for sin to begin breaking down our faith.

Dear Lord, as your children, we are foreigners in this world. There are many things in this world that are acceptable to others, but are not right for us, your children. Help us avoid these things, so that we may maintain our faith and hope for your salvation. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I read about an academic study that was performed to measure in the role of positive versus negative comments on a business team’s performance. The results showed that the highest performing teams had almost 6 times as many positive comments as negative.

God works in a similar way in our lives. Psalm 30:5 says, “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime.”

We know God disciplines those that he loves, Paul writes in Hebrews 12:6, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

But as the Psalm says, God shows favor on his faithful people for a lifetime.

We all can learn from this in how we approach our families, our colleagues, and congregations. Use a small amount of criticism and a healthy amount of praise. Try 6 positive comments for every one negative comment and see how things go.

Dear Lord, everything we discover about ourselves is no surprise to you, because you made us this way. Help us learn from the discipline you give us and praise you for the favor you show us. Help us also be the positive influence on our “teams.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I have heard it said that events do not have meaning until we give them meaning. People can look at the same facts and draw different meanings from them.

Fear is one meaning we can give to the facts that we see or experience. Fear is one of the primary tools, our enemy, the Devil, uses to separate us from God. He uses fear in order to put us in a state of unease and anxiety, rather than the state peace and confidence that we can have with faith in God.

Faith is the antidote for, and weapon against fear.

Mark 4 tells the account of Jesus calming the storm when he and the disciples were on a boat. The disciples feared for their lives, but Jesus said in Mark 4:40, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

And David told us in the well known Psalm 23 verse 4, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Dear Lord, give us the faith in you that overcomes fear, worry, and anxiety. Help us truly believe that no matter what we face, you control all outcomes and we can be peaceful and confident in your power under all circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You probably know the account of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers and subsequently becoming very powerful in Egypt. I don’t imagine that Joseph had any idea about the good that would occur later in his life as a result of what his brothers did.

In Genesis 50:20 he reveals himself to his brothers and says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

How often do things happen to us that we think are terrible, but they result in something good later on. God has a plan for each of us which may include events that are not pleasant, but are necessary to accomplish something good.

Dear Lord, we cannot even begin to understand the reasons and complexity of Your plans. Help us trust that you have things under control in our lives and when we do, even what seems terrible You will use for good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have you had the opportunity to work closely with a team to accomplish a common objective. It could have been with a sports team, an informal team of people at work, a startup team for a new business, a band, a military unit, or overcoming a challenging time with your family as a team. There is something particularly fulfilling, hopeful and uniting in these occasions. Often, the more difficult the challenge, the more powerful the experience is for us.

Paul writes about this to the Church in Philippi, in Philippians 2:1-2, saying ” Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.”

It is that working together with “one mind and purpose” that makes all the difference. How much more fulfilling it will be for us when that purpose is God’s work, in our family, church, community, or friendships.

Dear Lord you made us and you put this trait into each of us, that when we join together in a team with trust and respect for each other and take on a challenge, your love is shown through us and builds bonds between us, making us even more capable of doing your will. Give us all the opportunity to experience this, and use it in your work. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.