Do you have a mentor? When I was younger, I prayed for a mentor. God gave me – not one – but my three mentors. As God often does, He gave them in a much different way than I wanted. Yet, I have come to agree with Him – that His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Is. 55:9) Interestingly, none of these three people really knew they had become my mentors.
I want you to stop and think about a recent crisis moment you’ve had. What happened? A crisis moment is where things change. Your path goes one way – or another. This is the exact moment you decide if you will be a “victim” or “victor!” So, which are you?
What a weird title for today’s content. But I promise – it’s straight out of Scripture! But what does “looking for donkeys” have to do with God’s timing? Sometimes “looking for donkeys” oddly describes life. But that’s not reason enough to designate a full article to it. So, what is reason enough? I’ll give you a clue. It has a lot to do with God’s timing.
We hear about prominent figures, television personalities, world leaders, famous authors. But most of us are ordinary people – not famous. We care about the state of our world as we hear of countries being ravaged and individuals without food, water, medicine. We sigh as the news highlights tragedies in our own communities. Many ordinary people care about showing God’s love in practical ways. So, a question we ask: How can I ever make a difference in this huge world? I’m one of the ordinary people!
Every believer in Jesus has struggled to quit sinning at some point. Things you don’t want to do, you seem to migrate toward. Things you do want to do, you seem helpless to carry out. It feels a bit like being trapped. Still, you want to please God and live a good life.
There was a famous person who struggled to quit sinning. And they figured it out.
The other day, I received a note from a person who is refreshing and rare. They are committed to Jesus and walk with God. This person has chosen God’s priorities over their own agenda, and their life proves it. People like this quietly change the world as they faithfully live for Jesus. They are refreshing and rare. I want to be this kind of person.
Being alive is a privilege! God designed you to be dependent on Christ – synced with Him at your core. Joy and peace result from being connected with Jesus, even in times of sorrows. Plus, you gain purpose and wisdom.
What interests do you have? How do you figure out what your interests are? As a unique individual, your interests matter. Every day there are many things that capture your attention. How do those interests fit into God’s interests?
If I were to ask you who has had a high level of influence in your life, who would you mention? What impact did they have on you? Most of us have a handful of people we would think of. Their touch on our lives is noteworthy – sometimes life-changing. Their life has been a kind of “virtual e-pistle”* for you to read. They had opportunity to influence you.
Encouragement is always easier to receive than rebuke. Yet, we all need both. Truly we do. Unfortunately, most people put all their energy into defending and protecting themselves instead of opening to whatever truth is being presented. That’s a sign of insecurity, and possibly pride. A secure person who is humble doesn’t worry too much about their defense. Maybe a little. But they rally with courage, receive an honest message, pray through it, filter out whatever is irrelevant, and apply whatever is helpful. It’s as if they are saying, “It is what it is. And that’s OK, because I’m aiming for more of Christ.” They are willing to accept the bottom line: we affect each other.
