The spirit of control directly opposes the spirit of surrender.
Sometimes—when in conflict—our natural instinct is to hold on tighter without realizing it’s in our best interest to let go.
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For God So Loved the World
If there was one truth I could pass along to everyone that I come into contact with, it would be this:
For God SO LOVED the world.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “No one will love you until you learn to love yourself.” This is simply not true.
Don’t Leave the Kingdom on the Table
Two things I’m passionate about are knowing God and receiving everything He has for me. I don’t want to leave anything on the table.
My mother-in-law often says, “Never live beneath what Jesus died to give you.” As I try my best to live that way, one thing I’ve learned is that I can only know God in certain capacities when I leave my comfort zones, and I can only receive to the extent that I recognize my need. For example, I can’t know God as provider if I never lack anything. I can’t know God as protector if I always avoid trials. I can’t know God as defender if I never walk boldly.
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Philemon: Dearly Loved
I was recently reading through the 13 letters of Paul in Scripture, and I ended my time in Philemon. It’s not the most well-known book in the Bible; however, it is one of my favorites. Here’s a quick overview:
Philemon (pronounced Fuh-Lee-Muhn) was a slave owner who lived in Colossae and was friends with Paul. One of his slaves, Onesimus, stole from him and ran away, which was punishable by death. Then, in a crazy turn of events, Onesimus ended up in prison—right next to Paul. During that time of imprisonment, Paul actually led him to the Lord and built a fatherly bond with him. So, the book of Philemon is a letter that Paul wrote to Philemon, imploring him to forgive his former slave, restore their relationship, and welcome him back not as a slave, “but as a dearly loved brother.”
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A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is approaching, but—if you’re like me—you may be struggling to feel thankful this year. Maybe this is your first holiday with an empty chair at the table, or maybe you’ve recently received some devastating news. Maybe you dread the idea of gathering with family, or maybe you are aching because there’s no family to gather with.
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Grace Waves 