True Spirituality

To my amazement, within a couple of weeks, one big thing changed—me! The anger and bitterness melted away. His insults and words lost their power (though I still disliked it); the sting was gone! I started praying regularly for Jimmy as part of my “bless him” part of the equation, and I began to see Jimmy through new eyes. I saw an extremely talent

We’re commanded to “not be haughty in mind but to associate with the lowly.” There is to be no sense of superiority in our actions or attitude as we relate to those who have hurt us or those who are different from us.

Notice that the goal is to be at peace, to live in harmony with all men—believers and unbelievers. Why? Our testimony is more important than our rights. How we respond to injustice and personal attacks is more important than getting our way or proving that we’re right.

Under the right circumstances, we can also become the authors of evil in the lives of others if we are not careful. Evil has an amazing ability to latch on to even innocent parties, when our hurt and wounds cry out for “payback” and justice.

THINK—What person came to your mind? REFLECT—What emotions followed when this person came to your mind? UNDERSTAND—In what ways have you sought to resolve this wound in the past? What’s been helpful, or not helpful? SURRENDER—Ask God to help you be willing to follow His commands in Romans 12:14–21 concerning this person. TAKE ACTION—Identify one tr

Jesus is calling us to respond to the evil aimed at us in the same way that He did. Look at the two verbs in the passage above in Matthew 5:44—love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, so that you will be “sons of the Most High.” “Sons of the Most High” translates a Hebrew expression that denotes likeness. In other words, when we love ou

In Galatians 1:10, Paul says, he was not trying to please men. In John 5:44, Jesus essentially says, “It’s impossible to genuinely trust Christ when you’re seeking to please people.” And when my eyes scanned Luke 16:15, a spiritual dagger went through my heart as I read “that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Yo

Someone has said, “Your outlook will determine your outcome,” and I believe that’s true. When I feel tired, overwhelmed, and underappreciated, my focus quickly turns inward. I begin to think about what I don’t have and who has not been coming through for me. I begin to focus on prayers that have not been answered and relationships that are troublin

THINK—What hit home with you in this chapter? REFLECT—Who comes to mind when you think of someone who has honored you and been devoted to you? How do you feel about them? UNDERSTAND—What person or situation are you aware of that would qualify as a real need? Who is hurting who needs help? SURRENDER—You may not be the one to meet the need that you l