Author: mary

If people in this world had self control, there would be a lot less hurt and we would see relationships thrive and flourish. There are many examples of people who lived lives controlled by the Lord instead of their own flesh in the Bible, but one of the best examples is the story of Daniel.

Daniel was chosen by the king to serve in the palace. He was a captive living in Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. When Daniel was brought to the palace, he was given anything he wanted to eat or drink, yet he abstained from the pleasures of the palace and instead followed the Lord. Even after Daniel began to serve in the kingdom, he continued to serve the Lord. When some of the leaders did not like how Daniel exhibited self-control, they planned a way to trap him. Yet, Daniel continued to serve the Lord. When he was thrown into a den of lions for serving the Lord, his true king, he still remained faithful and the lions did not devour him. The next day the king and the people were astonished to see Daniel untouched. They praised the God of Daniel.

Daniel was an example of what can happen when you live a controlled life and are not influenced by the riches and pleasures of this world. He continued to serve the Lord, even when others around him did not. He abstained from anything that would ruin his relationship with the Lord, and he trusted that no matter what happened to him, God’s name would still be praised. This is exactly how God wants us to live: a life controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Gentleness soothes the spirit. It encourages the broken-hearted. It gives hope to the hopeless. Proverbs 15:1 states that “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Have you ever been in the middle of an argument? Chances are you have. Think about what you have experienced or seen in the middle of an argument. This verse says that tempers flare. Tempers rise in an argument and only make things worse.

However, kind and gentle words heal all wounds. This is a truth we should teach our children. Imagine if they lived by this truth instead of allowing anger to control them. This is a truth we should apply in marriage as well. Be gentle with your spouse instead of harsh. Allow gentleness to rule in an argument instead of tempers. This is a truth we should apply to everyone else we meet whether that is at work or in the world. Be gentle with others. Allow them to see Christ in you.

Gentleness will rule in our world if we allow it to rule in our hearts and home first. Gentleness can bind us together with others and can pave the way to love, joy, and hope. May your words be gentle and your actions be evidence of the gentleness that lives inside of you.

Faithfulness is putting your hope and trust in someone or something. Marriage is one example of faithfulness. When you share your vows on your wedding day, you are pledging your faithfulness to your spouse. You are saying that you are trustworthy and they can hope in your love. Friendship is another example of faithfulness. If a friend is continuously unfaithful, breaking promises and is not trustworthy, then you will probably not continue to be their friend. Faithfulness is important in both marriage and friendships.

Jesus was the ultimate example of faithfulness when He submitted to God’s will and gave His life on the cross. Jesus knew His purpose on earth was to fulfill God’s will, and He spoke of this often, with everyone He encountered. Yet, He still struggled with the decision to go to the cross when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. This showed both His spiritual side and His human side. He was faithful in following the will of His Father and walked to His death. He was willing to take on the pain and sins of the world so that we might live with Him and the Father. This was faithfulness, carrying out a promise He had made to His Father and to His people.

So when you are struggling with faithfulness, whether that is because you are having a hard time keeping your promise or you are struggling with someone who has not been faithful, just remember the love of the Father and how Jesus was faithful, even to death. He is our example of faithfulness and should drive us to be a faithful people.

Sometimes it can be difficult to see the good in the world. With pain, suffering, and heartache everywhere you look, good can feel few and far between. Turn on the news and you hardly hear of anything but destruction and despair. Social media tends to be riddled with negativity and rebellion against God, and yet they tell us to be the good. So where is the good?

The good lives inside of every single believer. From the moment someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, the Holy Spirit is planted within the believer, so good lives in their heart. When you go above and beyond to serve someone in their time of need, you are “being the good.” When you share about the things God has done in your life, you are “being the good.” When you reach out a helping hand during a tragic event, you are “being the good.” When you sit with a friend after they get a devastating diagnosis, you are “being the good.” Christians can be the hands and feet of Jesus and show goodness to the world around them. They can flood their social media with good. They can change the minds of the lost with their goodness.

Be the good in someone else’s life. Be the bright spot in their day. Reach out to them when no one else does. Show other’s the goodness God has been in your life by being the good in their life.

Kindness tends to be rare in the world today. All around us we see people hurting and longing for a kind word or deed from someone else. The Bible is the ultimate picture of kindness. One example of kindness in the Bible is the story of the Good Samaritan.

Jesus tells the story of a Jewish man who was attacked by bandits and left for dead. A priest walked by and just passed to the other side. A Temple Assistant saw him lying there but still passed to the other side. These were two religious men who saw someone in need, and chose themselves over the kindness they could bestow on someone else. Finally, it was a Samaritan who noticed the Jewish man in turmoil and chose kindness over himself. He immediately felt compassion for the man when he saw him and began to bandage his wounds. His kindness did not stop there. He took the man to an inn to care for him and paid the innkeeper to continue caring for him after he left. Jesus then asks which of these three men was a true neighbor? Biblical kindness goes beyond a kind word or gesture; it is a lifestyle. Being kind was not a chore or even a choice for this Samaritan man. It was a way of life.

This is how God wants us to show kindness to others. It should be a way of life for us. We should be so caring with others that when they look at us, they see the love and kindness of Christ. If we follow the kindness God has shown us and the real-life examples in the Bible, we will learn how to make kindness the theme of our lives.