Written By TWFT
Tuesday, November 14
“Let us have…no envy of one another.” Gal 5:26 RSV
Paul cautioned the early church about envy, and it’s still a problem. Your coworker gets a raise, a friend’s kid wins a scholarship, a neighbor takes a dream vacation. Do you rejoice with them or force a tight smile? We’re human; an occasional flicker of envy is normal. But beware of harboring a chronic sense of being shortchanged. Tacitus said, “When men are full of envy, they disparage everything…good or bad.” When somebody else prospers, before you ask, “Why not me?” ask yourself if you would be responding the same way if some tragedy had befallen them. Jealousy is like a moth; it nibbles away at clothes until they’re ruined, except envy destroys irreplaceable things like relationships and families. One author reminds us: “When we’re…in the valley, it is human to envy those…[on] the mountaintops. It is easy to forget [they] didn’t fall there—they climbed there. Behind the success story is always a courageous decision and a gallant action…If we want to reach them…we have to…climb. Inspiration from someone else may get us started, but the success is in the climbing.” Imagine a runner striding out; he is fast, focused, and ahead of the pack. Then he starts looking at the competition. Before long he stumbles, loses his momentum, and drops out. That’s what happens when you let jealousy distract you from completing the course God mapped out for you. Paul writes, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” (Gal 5:7 NIV). Keep your eye on the prize, and don’t get distracted by what others have and don’t have. That’s none of your business.
Tuesday, November 14
“Let us have…no envy of one another.” Gal 5:26 RSV
Paul cautioned the early church about envy, and it’s still a problem. Your coworker gets a raise, a friend’s kid wins a scholarship, a neighbor takes a dream vacation. Do you rejoice with them or force a tight smile? We’re human; an occasional flicker of envy is normal. But beware of harboring a chronic sense of being shortchanged. Tacitus said, “When men are full of envy, they disparage everything…good or bad.” When somebody else prospers, before you ask, “Why not me?” ask yourself if you would be responding the same way if some tragedy had befallen them. Jealousy is like a moth; it nibbles away at clothes until they’re ruined, except envy destroys irreplaceable things like relationships and families. One author reminds us: “When we’re…in the valley, it is human to envy those…[on] the mountaintops. It is easy to forget [they] didn’t fall there—they climbed there. Behind the success story is always a courageous decision and a gallant action…If we want to reach them…we have to…climb. Inspiration from someone else may get us started, but the success is in the climbing.” Imagine a runner striding out; he is fast, focused, and ahead of the pack. Then he starts looking at the competition. Before long he stumbles, loses his momentum, and drops out. That’s what happens when you let jealousy distract you from completing the course God mapped out for you. Paul writes, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” (Gal 5:7 NIV). Keep your eye on the prize, and don’t get distracted by what others have and don’t have. That’s none of your business.
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January
ENJOY EACH DAY OF THIS NEW YEAR (1)ENJOY EACH DAY OF THIS NEW YEAR (2)THIS YEAR THINK “POSSIBLE” (1)THIS YEAR THINK “POSSIBLE” (2)THIS YEAR THINK “POSSIBLE” (3)LET GOD LEAD YOUGOD IS YOUR PROVIDERYOUR OVERFLOWING CUP OF BLESSINGSTEPS TO OVERCOMING YOUR WORRIESFOCUS ON YOUR GOD-GIVEN VISIONTHE STORY OF YOUR BIBLEHOW GOD LEADS USHOW JESUS DEALT WITH SINARE YOU JOY-DEPRIVEDIT’S TIME TO PRAY (1)IT’S TIME TO PRAY (2)FAITH THAT BRINGS RESULTSBE FAITHFUL TO GOD AT WORKWHEN YOUR BEST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGHTODAY, GIVE YOUR PROBLEM TO GODSTEPS TO FORGIVENESS (1)STEPS TO FORGIVENESS (2)THE JOYS OF HEAVEN (1)THE JOYS OF HEAVEN (2)THE JOYS OF HEAVEN (3)LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR ANGERSEEK GOD FOR DIRECTIONTRY A POWER NAPGO TO THE RIGHT SOURCEHOW GOD SEES YOUYOU HAVE TO “WALK OUT” THE PROCESS
February
GUARD THESE THREE AREAS OF VULNERABILITYSIMPLIFY YOUR LIFEONWARD AND UPWARDYOU NEED EACH OTHER (1)YOU NEED EACH OTHER (2)YOU NEED EACH OTHER (3)SHOWING GRACE TOWARD THOSE WHO DIFFER WITH YOUARE YOU HAVING A NIGHTIME EXPERIENCE?A HEART FILLED WITH GOODNESSCHRIST’S LOVE FOR YOUGIVE GOD ALL THE GLORYYOU’RE A REFLECTORYOU MUST CARE FOR THE NEEDY (1)YOU MUST CARE FOR THE NEEDY (2)YOU MUST CARE FOR THE NEEDY (3)DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR SAULRECOVERING FROM BURNOUTSETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE (1)SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE (2)HE WILL DO IT AGAIN!BEWARE OF SELF-PITYTODAY, CHOOSE THE RIGHT ATTITUDEBUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN“SERVANT” FOR LIFECHANGE YOUR EXPECTATIONSSTART MEMORIZING SCRIPTURESCHRIST IS COMING AGAIN!FRIENDSHIP
March
EXPERIENCING GOD’S PRESENCE AND PLEASUREDON’T WAIT; ENJOY YOUR LIFE NOWMONEY MATTERS IN MARRIAGEUSE YOUR GOD-GIVEN CREATIVITYA PRAYER OF FORGIVENESSWHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (1)WHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (2)WHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (3)WHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (4)A PRAYER FOR FINANCIAL CONTENTMENTA PRAYER OF COMMITMENT TO GODHAVING A VISION FOR YOUR LIFECHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR LIFE (1)CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR LIFE (2)CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR LIFE (3)DOES IT GLORIFY GOD?LESSONS FROM A BROKEN HEARTWHAT YOU MUST GIVE UPYOU NEED OTHERSREBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (1)REBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (2)REBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (3)REBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (4)THROUGH CHRIST, YOU CAN DO ITDEPEND ON GOD MORESTART SAYING, ‘I CAN’REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR (1)REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR (2)REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR (3)REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR (4)PREPARE IN ADVANCE