Friday, June 16, 2023

Friday, June 16, 2023
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Selfless love means you count others as more significant than yourself, treating them the way you would want to be treated. Dying in place of a friend is the greatest act of self-sacrifice that there is but imagine dying for your enemies. Imagine dying for people who ignored you, betrayed you, and crucified you. Jesus doesn’t have to imagine; it happened to Him, and He would do it all again for the children He loves. It was selfless love that held Him on that cross, and selflessness is something that He wants to plant in your heart, and the hearts of all those who serve Him.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Thursday, June 15, 2023
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Who you spend time with has a massive influence on who you are. The right crowd can bring the best or worst out of you, often stretching your morals instead of strengthening them. Don’t blend in with people who don’t make God a priority in their lives. You live in the world, and that can’t be changed, but Jesus commanded His followers not to be of the world. Ignoring lost people isn’t right, but living like them can be just as destructive. Be a positive influence on the people you spend time with and ask the Lord to help you show them what a life transformed by the Living God really looks like.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Have you ever felt betrayed by someone you thought was a friend? Have you ever been lied to by someone you trusted? Enemies and friends alike can both leave wounds… the difference is that when a friend leaves a wound, it’s one that you needed. An honest person calling out the things in your life God wants to change might sting, but it might also be exactly what you need to hear. An enemy will just use your flaws to bring you down, but a true friend, instead of watching you go down the wrong road, would rather force you to face hard things in order for you to come out on top. The enemy condemns you, saying that you are imperfect, flawed, and not worthy of love. But a friend, and the Holy Spirit Himself, will convict you: you are imperfect, you are flawed, but Christ redeems you, and through Him all things are possible.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Tuesday, June 13 2023
Proverbs 27:9
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

Bad friends can talk you straight into bad decisions, but good friends can talk you away from one. The counsel you get from people you trust can greatly influence the kinds of decisions you make in life, for better or for worse. That’s why the Bible time and time again urges you to form your bonds with quality people: followers of Christ whose advice revolves around God’s word. You’re a member of the body of Christ, and as you might guess, a body doesn’t work so well when one of its pieces is missing, nor does that piece function when separated from the rest of the body. Don’t neglect to spend time with others and lean on them when you need help. Remember that the only counsel worth pursuing will have roots in the truth.

Monday, June 12, 2023

Monday, June 12, 2023
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

You’re at your best when you aren’t the only one pushing you. Iron sharpens iron, and people sharpen other people. The Bible speaks often about the importance of family, friends, and close companions to keep you accountable, upright, and cared for. Even in the Garden of Eden, a perfect world, God still gave Adam a partner to help him. If you tend to isolate yourself when storms brew in your life, remember that a ship can’t be crewed by one person, and even the finest swords need help to be sharpened.

Friday, June 9, 2023

Friday, June 9, 2023
Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Think for a moment about how truly small and temporary this life is when compared to heaven. You do not live here! You are just passing through on your way to God’s kingdom, the place where you have eternal citizenship! When you come to terms with that, it makes pain and grief easier to bear, and makes living each day for God even more important. It’s because of Jesus that you have hope, and it’s in Him that you have your identity. Do not worry about what the world throws at you… worry about who you are before Christ, because that identity is the one that’s going to last.