Many may be familiar with this quote from Theodore Roosevelt, known as “The Man in The Arena,”

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

I think this quote has some parallels to Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:8-12,

“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say,“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

Roosevelt encourages us to strive, try things, get out of our comfort zone, and not be the critic of others. Peter tells us the arena in which we are to strive is our relationships with each other, following Christ’s example, of love, humility, shunning evil, and searching for peace.

Dear Lord, in this arena on earth, you set the standard for us to follow. Help us take on the challenge, not being the one criticizing others, but the one who strives to take the high road of love, humility, and peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

One of CS Lewis’ great quotes is, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” This is an insightful way to look at humility, without tearing ourselves down.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3-5, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” he goes on to tell us in verses 8-9, “He [Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names.”

If we are like Jesus, we put our focus outside of ourselves, on serving others, and God will do the work of watching out for and taking care of us.

Dear Lord, Thank you for Jesus’ perfect example of a life of service to others. Like Jesus, who rose in glory after humble service, we too know we don’t have to selfishly promote ourselves, because you will watch over us while we serve others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is sometimes hard to believe how people can have such bad judgment and do some of the things they do today. This is not anything new. In fact Jesus tells us this will happen in Matthew 7:13-14, saying, “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

It takes a discipline, courage, and commitment to follow the path God wants for us. We cannot just go along with what is popular or trendy. We need to as written in Proverbs 4:26-27, “Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

Dear Lord, The Devil is expert at tempting us, and the desires of the world are so appealing. We know with your help we can overcome these distractions that can lead us away. Help us set our own straight path, following your teachings so that we enter the narrow gate by your grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I have a friend who, when things seemed to unexpectedly work out in his favor, would jokingly say it was due to his “clean living and high moral fiber.” This would always get a chuckle from those around.

Psalm 97:11 actually says something similar. “Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.”

In Romans 1:17 Paul reminds us that we are “made righteous by faith.”

So when things go well for us, we can say, “God’s light and joy are on us due to our faith in him.”

Dear Lord, how wonderful it is when your light shines on us and we can know the joy of being right with you. Thank you for this blessing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is interesting to look at different Bible translations of verses, to help bring out the meaning of the text.

I found that the God’s Word translation of Proverbs 14:14 brings relevance to what is a somewhat “matter of fact” verse in other translations. It says:

“A heart that turns from God becomes bored with its own ways, but a good person is satisfied with God’s ways.”

Isn’t it common to see someone searching for their way in life and rather than turning toward God, they turn away looking for life satisfaction in many things, only to be left feeling incomplete. In contrast, when we turn toward God looking for his will and ways and following, we find peace.

Dear Lord, as you said, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, help us turn toward you for fulfillment in life, and you will guide our steps. In Jesus’ name. Amen.