What does it mean to be mature? or What does it mean when we tell someone to “grow up?” It doesn’t have anything to do with their age, but is more about their behavior and judgment. One definition of maturity is the ability to accept delayed gratification; to work on something for an extended period of time before seeing the results.

In a similar way as we become more mature in our Christian faith, we can begin to accept the struggles and challenges of being a Christian with the joy of knowing we will be rewarded in time. We accept those challenges out of love for God, and our fellow men and women. Paul writes in Romans 8:18, ” Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.”

Dear Lord, Help us become more mature Christians to take our suffering and struggles in faith, knowing that our future reward will be the peace of trusting you, and ultimately our eternal reward in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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.

I am sure you have seen professional athletes after completing an amazing, or very difficult goal, basket, touchdown or other play, stop and point to the sky, pointing to God. They may not know it, but they are expressing this Latin phrase, Soli Deo Goria which means To God Alone the Glory.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” This is truly our mission here on earth, to glorify God. He has given us all skills talents and situations to allow us to do this in our own way. We can do it by sharing Gods love with the poor in the soup kitchen line, or we can do it on national television using amazing athletic skills God gave a few. We should remember it is not how amazing we are, it is how amazing God is.

Dear Lord, Help us remember that all we have came from You, and remember to give you the glory for the great things we can do and the great things we have. In Jesus’ name we pray. Soli Deo Gloria! Amen.

The book of Exodus tells the story of the Jews after God brought them out of captivity in Egypt. God was leading them to a new land, but even though he was there with them the entire time in the form of a pillar of cloud in the daytime, and a pillar of fire at night, they still had problems keeping their focus on him and his direction.

Just like the Jews in the desert, God wants us to look to him for our direction and strength and he will guide us.

In Hebrews 3 Paul recounts this story, and explains how God was leading them, showing them the path. In Hebrews 3:9-10 he writes, “But God was patient with them forty years, though they tried his patience sorely; he kept right on doing his mighty miracles for them to see. “But,” God says, “I was very angry with them, for their hearts were always looking somewhere else instead of up to me, and they never found the paths I wanted them to follow.”

God also has paths he wants us to take, but we need to look to him for guidance to know where they are.

Dear Lord, help us have the faith to look to you for guidance. Show us the paths you want us to follow. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.