No, the thing that makes for greatness is determination, persisting in the right direction over the long haul, following your dream, staying at the task.
A "godly" person is one who ceases to be self-centered in order to become God-centered.
Love has been called the most effective motivational force in all the world. When love is at work in us, it is remarkable how giving and forgiving, understanding and tolerant we can be.
To be used of God. Is there anything more encouraging, more fulfilling? Perhaps not, but there is something more basic: to meet with God. To linger in His presence, to shut out the noise of the city and, in quietness, give Him the praise He deserves. Before we engage ourselves in His work, let's meet Him in His Word... in prayer... in worship.
We can't solve modern problems by going back in time. Retreating to the safety of the familiar is an understandable response, but God has called us to a life of faith. And faith requires us to face the unknown while trusting Him completely.
You may be going through a trial so overwhelming that it's borderline unbearable. You want to see the end of the tunnel. Which is only natural, because once we see that little speck of light, we feel we can make it through to the finish. But God's tunnels are often twisting, too complex and dark to see the light for many days. In such settings He says, "In that dark, twisting, seemingly endless period of time, trust Me. Stop running scared! Stop fearing!"
Leaders need to cultivate two things: a righteous heart and a rhinoceros skin.
Humility - the discipline of putting others ahead of self, the choice to value others above self - is, at its core, a matter of faith.
I have tried and I cannot find, either in scripture or in history, a strong-willed individual whom God used greatly until He allowed them to be hurt deeply.
Envy is one of the great enemies of active spirituality. It keeps us from loving our neighbours, from functioning with others in community, and from affirming people's unique worth. It also steals contentment from the heart. Is there anything or anyone you are envious of?
Confidence brings joy when we let God be God.
It's not enough merely to believe there is a God. You must believe in the God who is there.
Let`s choose each day and every day to keep an attitude of faith and joy and belief and compassion.
On tough days, you gotta have heart. Don't quit, whatever you do. Persevere.
'We really shouldn't look like a church.' I've heard that so much I want to vomit. 'Why?' I ask. 'Do you want your bank to look like a bank? Do you want your doctor's office to look like a doctor's office, or would you prefer your doctor to dress like a clown?'
Tell yourself right now and throughout today, that it's okay to draw away from the maddening crowd. Jesus did; so can you.
The beautiful thing about this adventure called faith is that we can count on Him never to lead us astray.
While God is not the author of evil and He never prompts or condones sin, nothing occurs without His sovereign oversight. Others may choose to do evil deeds and God's people may suffer in the short term, but He will transform the evil intentions of evil people into opportunities for the enrichment of those in His care.
If God's people are to be living examples of one thing, that thing ought to be - it must be - compassion.
God never calls His people to accomplish anything without promising to supply their every need.
Another problem with worry is that it makes you forget your worth. Worry makes you feel worthless, forgotten, and unimportant.
God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription. The Lord doesn't promise to give us something to take so we can handle our weary moments. He promises us Himself. That is all. And that is enough.
Have you ever studied Jesus's approach to talking with people? He didn't always fill the space with answers for them. Let's learn to do that with our fellow learners. Let's give them room to think and answer for themselves.
Jesus kept it simple. The lesson wasn't complicated. 'I speak; you believe My word; your son will be fine.' We complicate what God has made simple by seeing the world through human eyes. We want to see in order to believe and presume that our limitations are His.
You can choose to be a drag and a burden, or an inspiration and encouragement.
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