“So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh… Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ …For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:7b-10 NLT

Paul begged three times to be released from the Thorn in the Flesh Humility Program and God said no. Sometimes I, too, war against the weakness in myself. But perhaps God has a plan in this, too. We all need to be reminded of our insufficiency.
On our own, we are only capable of so much. Through God’s power, however, all things are possible. Our thorn in the flesh reminds us to rely on God’s strength, and not our own.

It’s interesting that God’s answer to Paul’s request was that his power works best in weakness. As if our weakness is really a strength that hasn’t been channeled into if we are just trying to deal with it, ignore it, or rail against it. What if, instead of spending so much energy protesting, I surrendered myself to God’s use? My headaches and distractibility may limit me, but perhaps in my weakness, God’s strength can be revealed.

Some think Paul’s thorn was his failing eyesight. It was something beyond his own ability to correct and outside of God’s will to change. If it had been a form of sin or a character flaw, God would have gladly removed it. This thorn was something that was at work to enhance Paul’s character by humbling him into reliance on God’s grace.

If Bethany Hamilton hadn’t lost her arm to a shark attack, she would have been just another surfer. Whatever your thorn may be, let it remind you that God can channel his strength through you.

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 NLT

Jesus paints a graphic visual with this little object lesson. Imagine a guy with his eye gouged out by a wood chip standing in front of you with tweezers, saying, “Hey, need help getting that splinter out of your eye?” The idea is not only ridiculous, but disturbing. He can’t possibly see through the damaged tissue, not to mention the obstruction of the wooden fragment, to carefully remove a tiny speck from your eye! He’s simply not qualified to perform that sort of precise and delicate work.

You know the people who exemplify this kind of hypocrisy. They are so convinced of their own well-being that they feel competent to offer counsel or criticism to others. While it may be perfectly obvious to us, they are blinded to the reality of their own shortcomings or sins. They sit back in their created world of illusionary perfection and dispense opinions graciously to those they view in need.

No one is without sin. But it’s a lot easier to take advice from some who practices what they preach. The coward may teach of bravery or a liar of truth, but their messages are invalidated by the speaker’s lifestyle.

It is wise for all of us to pray with the same humility and courage as David: “Search me, O God, and know my heart… Point out anything in me that offends you…” And if you speak with the voice of experience, it is better to confess it than to risk looking like a hypocrite.

“And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.” I Corinthians 15:14 NLT

When I was young, my family would visit my grandparents in Tennessee each year for Easter. It was always a novelty to attend their church on Easter Sunday and listen to those Southern drawls and hear, “Ya,ll come back now!” They had a large “choir” that consisted of anyone in the congregation who wanted to sit in the front of the church and sing, no practice required. They were loud and off-key as they belted out those hymns of triumph in their Southern accents, full of genuine enthusiasm and excitement for the greatest victory of all time.

Now, as an adult, there’s always something lacking to me in the restrained and organized worship of Easter morning. The unique flavor and zeal of that Southern choir will always stand out in my memory when I hear, “Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o’er his foes!” Their preacher would jump up and down behind the pulpit as he proclaimed, “Christ is RISEN!” like it had just happened that very morning.

I wish that each spring I could personally reclaim that fresh passion for the resurrection. For every tenet of our faith hangs upon it. If Christ was only a prophet who lived and died, our faith is useless. If we believe that he did, in fact, rise from the grave victorious, we have a living faith worth celebrating! Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have freedom from sin and the hope of salvation. That’s worth jumping about.

“Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.” James 4:13-16 NLT

Ask any high school graduate where they plan to be in twenty years. Check back in ten or fifteen, and how many of them will be anywhere in the vicinity of where they predicted? Perhaps a few. I can certainly say that the difference between the life I planned and the life I have lived is so contrasting as to be almost humorous. And embarrassing.

Why are we so arrogant and foolish as to believe that we can create the future simply by planning it? Of course, we create the future through the decisions we make each day. But so much is outside of our control: the choices and behaviors of others, the economy, our health… The best laid plans can be derailed or destroyed in an instant.

There is value in planning. There is no reward to living irresponsibly. However, what we plan and hope for is only possible if God allows it. I had it all planned out so clearly. Then I found myself humbled, broken, and rebuilt. Now I find myself at another crossroads where decisions must be made. I don’t know what doors God will open or what his plans for the next season will be.

As we plan for tomorrow, let us plan with humility, obedience, and surrender, knowing that each day is a gift from God and it is he who controls our destiny.

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 NLT

“The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.” Proverbs 21:3 NLT

If we could truly integrate God into every aspect of our daily lives, imagine how we would be transformed. The world around us would be transformed.

It’s easy to live a godly life during a mission trip or on Sunday mornings. But it’s like the difference between following fad diets and making a healthy lifestyle change. You might achieve your goal for a little while, but before you know it the situation is slipping out of hand again. Making small, realistic adjustments is easier to maintain for the long haul and more likely to achieve lasting results.

When we invite God to participate in every detail of our lives, it brings a peace and joy that can’t be found doing it on our own. And over time we are being shaped into the likeness of Jesus. Something as small as taking the time to pray for patience and the ability to teach in a way my daughter can understand before we begin her math lesson can make all the difference in the world.

Instead of us both ending up with headaches, we can work through the lesson like a team, building both her confidence in herself and our relationship. It’s just a math lesson. But when I invite God into it, I not only honor him, but that daily challenge goes so much more smoothly!

Nothing we do is insignificant to God. He wants to be honored in every moment of our lives, from the professional to the mundane.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 NLT

I hate the way Daylight Savings Time throws off my schedule, but I’ll never complain about gaining an extra hour of daylight. Sunshine makes such a difference in how I feel, physically and emotionally. If I could move to a location that enjoyed thirteen hours of sunlight a day, year round, I would.

I’ve read about “The Land of the Midnight Sun,” where the sun is continuously visible for twenty-four hours a day, for varying months depending on the proximity to the equator. It sounds wonderful! But the unfortunate flip side is the months spent in total darkness. During those months, suicide rates climb as depression prevails. The constant gloom is difficult to endure.

When I think about the way we are dependent on sunlight for Vitamin D and how vitally important it is to our physical and emotional health, I am reminded how we are dependent on Jesus for our spiritual well-being. Without Jesus, we would live the darkness of sin and human depravity, separated from God, without hope.

But the Light of the World offers us forgiveness and the promise of a better life. Because of the death and resurrection of Christ, we don’t have to live as captives to sin. We have new freedom. We don’t have to live in the darkness of despair and sin because we have access to a Light that no darkness can extinguish.

When the gloom of life’s struggles threatens to overwhelm us, we need to turn our faces to the Light.

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3 NIV

There are days when my faith is solid, rock-steady, and powerful enough to move mountains. I can remember with ease the times God has provided and blessed. Other days, my brain says that God will provide but I can’t bring my wayward emotions into line.

I wake up in the morning and lay my requests before him. But the uneasiness isn’t replaced with peace. I feel discontentment and longing. Just recently God answered my prayers in a mighty way and I was awed by his goodness. Why do I now feel the shadow of doubt creeping into my thoughts?

In John 15:7 Jesus says, “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” When we are aligned with Jesus, we won’t ask for anything outside of God’s will. He’s not a genie in a lamp waiting to grant three wishes. He wants us to know his character and grow in our faith.

So I am sifting my words as I pray, aligning my requests with his will. And I have confidence that he will provide in his own way and time… just make me wait longer than I’d like, and in a way that is outside of my small comfort zone.

Perhaps those very needs that weigh on my mind are blessings in disguise. They keep me coming back every morning to lay my requests before God. Every need is an opportunity for him to grow my faith.

"But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: ‘Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.’

“But Naaman became angry and stalked away. ‘I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!’ he said. ‘I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!’" II Kings 5:10-11 (NLT)

To quote from The Tale of Despereaux: “No one is born afraid.” Life’s lessons often leave scars. Sometimes they run deep, so deep that we don’t realize they are the root of anger, bitterness, or anxiety in our lives.

Once we realize we have healing that requires God’s work, I’m afraid most of us are a lot like Naaman. We want the healing to be an instantaneous and miraculous event, the way that Jesus healed the blind and lame in the Bible. It would be so much easier on our pride and spare us so much work.

Now, there may be times when healing comes swift and sure, but most of the time God expects us to participate with him in the process. He wants us to learn about him as we learn about ourselves through the journey toward healing.

If we truly desire to be restored, we need to do more than ask for it. We must be willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. Even at the risk of our pride. That means admitting our weaknesses and flaws; seeking counseling, if necessary; reading books that will guide our progress; spending intentional time in prayer and listening for God’s voice; and working with God through the process.

How tragic it would be if Naaman had continued to be separated from his family by leprosy when all he needed to do was walk down to the river and wash.

“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.” Psalm 25:1 (NIV)

Experience is the greatest of all teachers: children learn to leave the stove alone after burning their fingers. But unfortunately, sometimes we learn false lessons. We learn about a person, and think that lesson is about people. Or we internalize a life lesson that wasn’t about us at all, based on beliefs we’ve already developed about ourselves or others.

At one time, I thought I had a solid relationship with God and knew his plan for my life. And then the world shifted under my feet, and when I looked up, I didn’t recognize anything in front of me. Everything had changed. There were no certainties.

When I reflect on how God allowed my life to be leveled, like a mobile home in a tornado, I realize that it was ultimately an act of love. He knew that for me to begin making vital changes in my attitudes and in my depth of faith, I would have to endure hardship.

At the lowest point I questioned his love and his wisdom. I questioned his very existence. There was a long road of heartache and struggle stretching ahead for me. But God was already at work to provide for all my needs. He was at work even when I doubted him the most.

Now I have these rich experiences of God’s tender presence and faithfulness to look back on as he rebuilt my life in the wake of devastation. Now I know that whatever comes, I can trust him.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3

Every little girl dreams of meeting her Prince Charming. The thought occupies a ridiculous amount of time and energy. But I’m reminded of a quote by Logan P. Smith: “There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.”

Cinderella and Snow White may have lived happily ever after, but the rest of us live in the real world. We don’t meet handsome men who ride white horses and solve all our problems in a daring swordfight.

We fall in love with real men who may be handsome, but possess as many issues as we do. We don’t ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. We learn how to understand and appreciate one another as we grow and heal together, and as we face life’s challenges together.

No matter where you are in life, there’s something to pin your hopes and dreams on. I know a woman who yearned to adopt a child only to laugh later about “buyer’s remorse.” The only one who can fulfill us is Christ. The only one who can meet our emotional needs is Christ. Anything that becomes a “god” in our lives is going to let us down.

Our husbands, our children, our jobs—they are all gifts from God. If we set them up as gods in our lives, we’re setting ourselves up for trouble!

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God...” Romans 8:28 NLT

A long, dry walk in the heat of summer gives you new appreciation for a cool drink of water. Without knowing what it feels like to be parched, we wouldn’t value the sensation of being refreshed. What we have at our disposal every day, we take for granted.

Maybe God allows us to know hardship and want so that when the blessings come, we can see them for all that they are. And thank him for them.

When I woke up sick on Sunday morning, I was disappointed. But my husband and I bonded that day in a very special way because he chose to stay by my side. I gained new appreciation for Ben as he cared for me with tender thoughtfulness.

If God had given me the choice to spend the day healthy or sick in bed, my choice would be obvious. And if it hadn’t been for everything I experienced in the years leading up to this time in my life, I wouldn’t appreciate my husband’s attentiveness as I do. This is new for me. That’s what makes it so precious.

God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes he allows us to experience the very things we would bypass if given the choice. When we find ourselves in tough times, we need to remember that God is at work in many different ways to mold and shape us into the image of his son. Perhaps we can’t truly know gratitude until we have first known deprivation.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 9:9-10 NIV

We often take pride in being able to handle our problems without outside help. When we carry our burdens alone, we feel self-sufficient and strong. But it depends on the load how wise it is to try to manage on our own. Too much weight on the shoulders bends the spine.

Almost every heavy burden is lighter when the weight is shared with a friend. God placed people in our lives so that we could encourage, strengthen, and uplift one another. When we invite someone to walk the road of hardship or suffering with us, hand in hand, both parties are blessed. But when we walk alone, there's no one to help us up when we fall down.

God made us to be in community with one another; in relationship with him and with other believers. Sometimes we're blessed with parents, best friends, or spouses who can be our support system when the need arises. They help us achieve what we never could on our own.

Today, celebrate the special friendships that God has brought into your life. Thank those who are always there to help you get back on your feet when you stumble and fall. And if you are trying to carry the load alone, look around for someone who can help you share the weight. God is always available, but he often uses people to be his voice and hands. Don't be too proud (or too ashamed) to ask for help. "Two are better than one."

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world any longer, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2 NIV

It's not a new problem. Every generation has faced it on some level or another. How do we live in our culture without allowing it to influence our thoughts and behaviors to be contrary to the Word of God?

We can't escape the messages that are sent to us every day through the various forms of media or through the people that we live and work with. Satan has successfully worked to erode the Christian principles that were once foundational to our country. On every side we are assualted by sexuality, materialism and greed, and the philosophy of pursuing personal pleasure at all costs.

The only way to counteract this influence is to be grounded in the truth. If you know the truth, you can easily recognize the false ideas that are trying to creep into your thinking. Spending time in prayer and in reading the Bible are the keys to spiritual transformation. Willpower is not enough. There needs to be a personal invitation for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind daily.

Jesus spoke to each of these philosophies: "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart," (Matt. 5:28); "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (Matt. 6:19-20); "Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 10:38-39).

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." II Cor. 1:3-4 NIV

No one understands where you are in life like someone who's been there before. When it seems you're all alone struggling through your trials, it's amazing how much comfort it brings just to hear someone say, "I understand. I've been there." It doesn't really change anything, but somehow it helps.

When we find ourselves in pits of deep emotion, whether grief or fear or heartache, we can always turn to God for solace. He is "the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." He is pleased to wrap his arms around us, listen to our story, and hold us while we cry. He finds joy in wiping away our tears and giving us strength to face another day.

God comforts us because he loves us, but also "so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God." The moment will come when you will be able to say, "I know just how you feel. And God pulled me through."

The struggles we face have the potential to make us stronger and wiser, but they can also prepare us to be the arms of God holding someone else in need.

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

There's a tremendous humility and bravery that the psalmist displays in this challenge. He gives the Lord permission to search his heart and to look for impurity and wickedness so that he might be led into a more righteous life.

It takes great courage to confront the sin in our lives honestly. We find it easier to rationalize, excuse or ignore it. But there's nothing to be gained from this approach. It builds a wall between us and God that hinders us from living the abundant life Christ died to give us. We can never grow into the person we are meant to be if we are harboring sin in our hearts.

And once it's been acknowledged, rooting out the sin is even harder. We develop patterns of thoughts or behaviors that become integrated into our identity. On our own, we are powerless to overcome them. It's easy to feel hopeless and defeated. And this is one way the enemy maintains his power over us. But through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can conquer even the darkest and most stubborn sin.

It begins with the earnest desire for God to search our hearts and reveal the sin that needs to be dealt with. Then we must sincerelly pursue intimacy with Christ--it's the only way to achieve drastic life changes. As we draw near to our Creator, he can shape us into something new and beautiful.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45 NIV

I always get choked up when I hear the song, "Mary Did You Know?" As Mary cradles her precious infant to her chest, how could she fully understand that he was God incarnate and that he had come to bring salvation to past, present, and future generations? Or that it would be achieved through a brutal death? As she kisses his soft brow, how could she imagine that one day it would be pierced with thorns? It would have broken her heart.

But we know that her sweet baby grew into a man who healed the sick, made the blind see, and fed thousands of hungry people--only to be sentenced to death on a cross. If that had been the end, how tragic a story it would be, both for Mary and for the world. But after three days, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death forever.

When we sing "Away in a Manger" or look at the darling child in the nativity scene, we know the full story. Without the cross and the resurrection, there would be no reason to celebrate Christmas. And had Jesus not chosen to accept the limitations of human form and enter the world in a dark stable, there would be no Easter.

As we celebrate the Christmas holiday, let's keep the cross in perspective as it shadows over the manger. Jesus gave us the greatest gift that could be given: forgiveness and the opportunity to enter into a relationship with the God of the universe.

"Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." Isaiah 55:7 NIV

We've all made mistakes that we've later come to regret. At the time, maybe we didn't realize the choice we were making was a sin. Perhaps we acted out of impatience, lack of trust, or envy. We all have a different story to tell of life-altering failures with far reaching consequences.

But God is gracious and desires to give us a second chance. Though we may have to live with the consequences, when we acknowledge our sin and turn from it, God is merciful and eager to forgive us. His love is so endless, powerful, and deep. And when we experience the blessing of a second chance, we are experiencing a gift of his love. It leaves you feeling awed, humble, and grateful.

The Pharisee, Saul, was determined to exterminate the new set of heretics known as the Followers of the Way. His sole purpose was to glorify God as he acted out terrible persecution against believers in Jesus. While his passion for service was admirable, he had it all wrong. And Jesus personally revealed himself to Saul on the road to Damascus and set the record straight. After that, Saul became known as Paul, one of the apostles of Christ, and went on to change the world with his witness.

God didn't just save Saul. He gave him a second chance to spread the gospel with as much determination as he had previously persecuted the church. If God has given you a second chance, don't take it for granted. Live like you are grateful.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." I John 4:18 NIV

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him," John explains. Love--God's pure and perfect love--sets us free. Where we might have been intimidated by someone smarter or prettier, God sets us free to love. Where we might have been resentful toward someone who has hurt or betrayed us, God sets us free to love. Where we might have been fearful to let down our walls, God gives freedom to risk loving anyway.

God's love for us is deep, sure, and unwavering. John states that the reason there is no fear in love is "because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." When we accept Jesus as our savior, our sins are wiped away forever by the sacrifice of blood that he made on the cross. Jesus already took our punishment. We are now sheltered in the arms of love forever. We may know consequences or correction, but the final punishment has been spared us.

If we have experienced this powerful love of God, it should set us free to love others in the same way that we are loved. With loving comes risk. Not everyone deserves our love; not everyone will reciprocate our love; not everyone will appreciate our love. We are free to love anyway, and to love without fear--with wisdom and discernment, certainly, but not with fear.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

"And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, 'If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.' Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering." Mark 5:25-29 NIV

Twelve long years this woman suffered. She spent all her money seeking help, but the doctors failed her. She had nothing left. Her money was gone. Her health was gone. And this culture, her bleeding would have labeled her "unclean." She was probably a social outcast. There was no hope left for her.

Then she heard about Jesus' healing power. He was her last resort. She was desperate for healing--desperate enough to quietly creep up behind him and touch his cloak, hoping that his power could be tapped in that way. She wasn't courageous enough to ask him face to face. Maybe she felt unworthy.

But Jesus knew her worth. It wasn't his clothing that healed her. It wasn't her desperate hope, either. "He said to her, ' Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.'" It was her faith in him that made the difference.

Sometimes it seems we've carried our burdens for so long that there simply aren't any options left. We've tried everything we know to do, and nothing's worked. The scars and the pain linger until we begin to wonder if we even deserve to be healed. But Jesus is waiting with loving patience for us to simpoly reach out to him. He wants to bless us with the same benediction: "Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."