Have you ever painted over a bad color on a wall, or crayon drawings your children colored on the wall; maybe graffiti on a building. Isn’t the transformation intersting?

Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:8. “Above all maintain constant love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” Proverbs 10:12 says. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers over all sins.” Like painting over the blemishes on our walls, love for others, helps us overlook their blemishes, their love for us also allows them to overlook ours, and most importantly God’s love for us through Salvation covers our sins like they never happened.

Dear Lord, thank you for the love you provided us, that covers our sins, help us share your love with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When we have challenges in life, medical problems, relationship problems, emotional problems or others, our first inclination is to find an expert in that problem area and get help from them. That is not necessarily a wrong solution, but we need to remember that these people are experts at understanding sciences that God created. He is the source and he should be our first stop in helping us with our challenges.

Psalm 121:1,2 says, “I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth!”

Dear Lord, You are the ultimate authority, power and source of solutions for us. Help us remember to come to you first, trust in your love for us and promise to be there for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have you noticed how much your “state of mind” affects what you think about events, your expectations, and how you treat others. For instance, if things are going well for, you may tend to have a positive “state of mind,” have positive expectations, and tend to be upbeat and positive with other people. When you are in a negative “state,” just the opposite tends to occur.

I would argue that we can control our “state of mind” by taking control of our thoughts. For example, our state of mind can quickly change when something tragic, or something fantastic occurs in our lives. So if some external event can change our thoughts, our own conscious choice to change our thoughts can do the same.

Paul writes in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

I use two steps to try to get myself into the right state of mind when events are dragging me down. I first look at all the things for which I have to be thankful, and they are many. It is nearly impossible to be in a bad state when we are truly thankful. Then I pray and put my trust in God to lead me through my challenges.

The Bible tells us these things in many places. Here are a few to lean on.

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10

“Cast all your cares on him for he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Dear Lord, Help us take control of our “state of mind” with thankful hearts and confidence in your unlimited power to overcome any challenge we face. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Does your life look like what is described here in Galatians 5:22, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

If so, Praise the Lord! Take on the mission to spread this fruit of the Spirit with others.

For the rest of us, Luke 11:13 tells us to ask for God’s spirit, “.. how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Dear Lord, When we look for that missing thing that will make us happy, help us remember that it is You. Give us your spirit so that we may experience lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. And use these gifts to spread your Good News and glorify you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I write this daily post as somewhat of an instruction for Christians, including myself, on how to live and think about living our lives on earth. I think it is important to take a moment and remember the sequence that God has established for us.

First we are saved, not by doing the right things and living the right lives. Jesus says in John 3:17,18, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.”

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to believe. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”

Then, because we believe, we live the Christian life God desires. John writes in 1 John 2:3, “and we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.”

Finally, as active Christians we share our faith with others so they might receive the Holy Spirit and believe. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations,”

Dear Lord, help us keep this order in mind. It starts with your love for us that saves us, and follows with our love for you that leads us to live the life you want us to. In Jesus’ name. Amen.