Romans 12:10-13 NKJV “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.”

We are living in a world filled with challenges, but God expects us to respond to the challenges with Christian-like attitude. When bad news comes, when challenges arise, when people do you evil, when agitating and angry people come your way, what is your response? Is it in anger, is it in retaliation, or is it in love? Do you have self-control, or do you lose control and give in to your emotions? You can get to a place where no matter what is going on around you or how people are treating you, you can respond in faith, love, and compassion. To get to that place, you need to build faith on the inside of you and develop walking in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When you first start out working on how you respond to situations in faith, love, and compassion, you may get frustrated at how many times you mess up. But do not give up! One day, something that normally would have triggered your emotion will not even bother you. Instead, you will have a supernatural response of peace, joy, love, and faith. Then you can rejoice that you are growing and maturing spiritually!

1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV “He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.”

God has brought us into this new year peacefully. The year is new, fresh, and full of potential. But It is also full of uncertainty. In the midst of uncertainty, our faith can struggle, our walk with God becomes labored, and our heart heavy. There is something about the unknown which seems to weaken us. It drains our patience and blurs our focus. Yet, in the middle of everything stands a faithful God. A God who is not manipulated by the struggle and is not moved by the winds of chaos and adversity. A God who remains faithful even when our faith is fragile. It seems more difficult nowadays than ever to not worry about tomorrow, yet that is exactly what God has asked us to do (Matthew 6:34). For when we cast our burdens on Him (1 Perter 5:7), the troubles of the moment begin to fade. When we trust the plans He has for us, our fear begins to diminish. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), our focus becomes consumed by clarity. Trusting God is the only way. We can trust in His plan and in His eternally capable hands to uphold us. Yes, we may be in the midst of uncertainty, but we can be certain of one thing: God is faithful, and that is more than enough for our tomorrow. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”

Psalm 1:2 NKJ “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law, he meditates day and night.“

We make numerous choices every day, from what is simple to what is complex and life changing. One choice we make every day is whether to start the day with the Word of God or with social media or something else. Are we going to start the day with prayer, or are we going to start it with worry (Philippians 4:6)? Are we going to make time in our schedules to meet with other believers or make other activities a priority instead? The Bible tells us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2 NKJ). The words “blessed” and “happy” are interchangeable. Basically, the Bible is saying that if we want to be happy, there are some things that we should not do, and there are other things that we should do instead. Do not walk in ungodly counsel, Psalm 1 tells us, and instead walk in godly counsel. In other words, meditate on (or think about or ponder) the Word of God. This is not referring to the meditation of Eastern mysticism. Rather, to meditate on the Word of God means to ponder or contemplate what the Bible has to say. God instructed Joshua to meditate on the book of the law day and night for prosperity and good success (Joshua 1:8). What you need this year is not resolution but solution, which comes by a closer walk with God through His word. You make your choices, and your choices make you!