When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4
As followers of Christ, He is not just a part of our life or a nice guy that we segment off to Sunday mornings. Christ is our life. He is in us, He lives through us. He gives us strength and wisdom for our journey. Most importantly He gives us the promise of eternal life. He is the one who makes us who we are. He is our life and without Him our lives would be incomplete and without purpose.
This verse from Colossians is filled with great promise. It not only reminds us that our life is abundantly fulfilled and enriched here on this earth through Christ, but we also have the beautiful promise that He is alive and we will be with Him in glory. What a beautiful future awaits us in our heavenly home! What joy for those in Christ who have gone before us! As we head toward Easter, let us celebrate the risen Christ who gives our life meaning as well as hope for eternity.
Welcome to Positive Life Principles with Karol Ladd. I’m glad you are here. My desire is to encourage your heart and strengthen your faith through the truth found in the Bible. For the month of January, I have asked my friend Candace Gray to share her wisdom and insights on starting the year off in a positive direction. I know you will enjoy her blog. You’ll find more info about Candace at the end of the blog.
Numbers 13:33 “…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Many success gurus talk about the importance of mindset. Mindset refers to strongly ingrained patterns of your thoughts, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs. You may have good days with a positive mindset and discouraging days when your mindset is negative. But, just like establishing healthy eating practices, the issue is not what you do for a day or two, but your prevailing habits over time.
Mindset is incredibly crucial because if you have a faith-filled mindset, it can propel you toward great achievements and give you the ability to persevere despite significant obstacles. Likewise, if your mindset is negative, it can derail you from accomplishing what you desire or it can prolong the time it takes you to get there. Some believe that mindset is simply what you believe about yourself, but what you believe about yourself is directly related to what you believe about God.
As God was preparing the growing nation of Israel to take possession of the land He promised them, they had a pattern of negative thinking. They routinely looked at their circumstances and dismissed God. They consistently displayed a lack of faith in Him and belief in His promises. The result of their stinking thinking was a grasshopper mentality. They viewed themselves as small and powerless in the face of their enemies. They felt they would be crushed if they attempted to take the opportunity that God wanted to give them.
We may wrestle with questions about God’s intentions toward us: Are His plans for me really good? Does He really care about the affairs of my life? Is He really at work in my life? Does He truly want to work through me to bless others? Does He truly have a purpose for me? Is my life going somewhere or is it just randomness and minutia? Is He willing to act powerfully on my behalf? Will He show up for me?
Don’t be afraid to take your questions to God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” If you struggle with a grasshopper mentality, ask for His help. He loves to strengthen our faith, since our faith is what pleases Him. He will help you develop a faith-filled mindset that boldly pursues purpose throughout the year.
Questions for Reflection:
When have you viewed yourself as a grasshopper in your own eyes?
How can you become more aware of the pattern of your thoughts?
How can you strengthen your faith in God?
About Candace: Candace Gray is a seasoned leader with a track record of living a life of purpose and helping others to do the same. She is a Senior Director for Buckner Children and Family Services and a longtime member of Concord Church in Dallas.
If you’d like to follow her full 21-day devotional series, go to www.candacegray.com
Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
Happy New Year! Everyone is thinking about what the new year will bring. Some people make resolutions and some people set goals and create detailed plans. Some people just wing it, having been disappointed by previous failures in the past. But if you are a person with a strong desire to live a purpose-driven life, you can’t afford to wing it. You must set goals, make plans and try again, because it’s not just about you. There are others who will be blessed because of what you do. You desire to be a change-agent, problem-solver, healer, peace-maker, leader, creator, giver, do-gooder and anything else that glorifies God, helps others and makes the world a better place.
In Numbers 13, God was preparing the Israelites to possess the land of Canaan. Twelve people were sent to examine the lay of the land. As they explored the land, they saw both the bountiful resources of the land and the potential obstacles to possessing the land. When they returned from seeing the same set of facts, they came to two different conclusions: Caleb and Joshua concluded, “We should go up and take the land, for we can certainly do it.” The other ten concluded, “We can’t attack these people: they are stronger than we are.(13:31)” They observed, “we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them.(13:33)” One group focused on the power of God and the other group focused on their own limitations.
This devotional series is written to encourage you to keep moving forward with making a difference. You will face obstacles along the way, that tempt you to view yourself as a grasshopper. But do not underestimate the significance of living a life of purpose. The desire in your heart is there for a reason. The ideas you have are there for a reason. I encourage you to do the thing on your heart to do. I am praying for you and me to be focused, purposeful and boldin 2023. Someone’s life is depending on it. When we step out with the bold faith of Caleb, God is faithful to show up and help us.
Questions for Reflection:
What ideas would you like to implement in 2023?
What’s holding you back from taking new ground in 2023?
Are you more focused on your own limited ability or God’s unlimited power?
For the month of January, I have invited my friend Candace Gray to share a weekly devotional. Candace is a seasoned leader with a track record of living a life of purpose and helping others to do the same. She is a Senior Director for Buckner Children and Family Services and a longtime member of Concord Church in Dallas.
If you’d like to follow her full 21-day devotional series, go to www.candacegray.com
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. Genesis 12:2
God not only blesses us, but he blesses us for a purpose. He blesses us so we will be a blessing. The word bless means, “to benefit.” It implies abundantly or greatly. In the Bible we are reminded that God blessed Abraham abundantly by building a great nation through his seed. He made Abraham’s name great.
God’s blessings are different toward each one of us. Sometimes our blessings may come through the most difficult of trials. The purest gold comes through the most intense heat, and the most beautiful gems are formed through immense pressure. Other blessings may be in the rich joy of family members or friends in our lives.
Everyone can look at unique ways God has blessed their lives. The question is, “Are we focusing on the blessings God has given us or on the frustrations?” Let’s thank God each day for the wonderful ways He blesses us, and then let’s be diligent to use our blessings to bless the world around us.
How does God want to use your gifts and talents to benefit others today?
The corona virus wasn’t exactly on my game plan for November, but I’m now keenly aware that I am not in control of these things. When my husband tested positive for Covid, and I tested negative, I thought I was better and stronger than the Corona Virus. But then…three days later, my symptoms started showing up. Achy body, chills and a general feeling of yuckiness mixed with a slight cough and shortness of breath. It all seemed to overtake my body at once.
Still thinking I was slightly invincible, I said to myself, I’ll be over this in just a few days and back to normal. On Day 12 of general misery and malaise, I realized that although I wanted this to be a microwave type of sickness, for me it was more like a slow cooker. I know it hits everyone differently, some do have quick recoveries, but others have a longer and more bumpy road.
So how do you stay positive in the midst of the virus that you didn’t plan for yourself? Here are a few ways that I found to stay upbeat during this down time.
Develop a new daily routine. Pre-covid, I had a delightful daily routine that included a long walk, shower, quiet time and then jumping into work stuff. Well, the routine changed. Those wonderful long walks were out the window, and I wasn’t able to even think about work. So I adjusted and came up with a new daily routine. Routines give us a sense of peace and regularity in a highly irregular time. So my new routine included a cup of hot tea each morning, then sitting by the fire and reading and taking a long, hot shower in the afternoon. We can discover joy and peacefulness in the simplicity of a new and temporary schedule.
Find one thing you can do. I’ve always said I wanted more time to read – well, now I have it! For me, reading brings me great satisfaction and makes me smile. It’s the one thing I can do while resting and recuperating . What about you? Maybe you enjoy watching movies or funny videos on YouTube or drawing and sketching or doing Sudoku. It’s good and healing to engage in something that brings you a degree of happiness during this time.
Get some fresh air and sunshine each day. Part of my daily routine is to sit out in the sunshine on my back porch. Just 20 minutes of some hearty Vitamin D, not only lifts my spirits, but also gives a boost to my immune system. Wide open space and fresh air can do a world of good for our attitudes. In fact, studies show that nature has an uplifting effect on our sense of well-being. If you don’t have a place to go outside, try to sit by a window where the sunlight pours into the room. If it is not too cold outside, open a window and allow some fresh air to flow. Even if it is raining, you can open a window or sit on a covered porch while listening and observing God’s beautiful creation.
Stay connected with family and friends. We all need the love and support of those we hold dear. Take a moment each day to connect with someone who is genuinely encouraging to your heart. Whether through text or facetime and phone call, we need the joy of connectedness through loving relationships. And I’m not talking about social media connection, I’m talking about real bonds with family and friends. Now certainly be mindful of the rest you need and don’t wear yourself thin by talking to others, but on the other hand, don’t allow yourself to become isolated. Be vulnerable enough to invite several people into your life as cheerleaders and a form of emotional support.
Pray. Every affliction, every challenge, every obstacle in our lives is an opportunity to recognize our need for the Lord. The long recovery from Covid can be an important time to look upward and renew our devotion to the Lord. Pray for healing. Pray for God to begin to show you things that may need to change in your life after you recover. Pray for wisdom and a desire to live a life that honors Him. Remember, no matter how lonely this journey may seem, you are not alone. Seek Him. May this be a time for each of us to reflect on life and draw closer to Him.
Whether you are dealing with Covid or know someone who is, there are positive steps you can take. If you are a friend or family member of a homebound covid patient, reach out to them and reassure them that you are there for them. My daughters’ daily calls just to check in meant the world to me. My friends who reached out to bring a meal or drop off a smoothie, lifted my spirits. What a sweet time for all of us to care for one another. We will get through this as we love and serve together, and as we look to Jesus as our source of comfort and strength.
Positive Woman Connection 