life is a gift

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8,9 Well, the holidays have passed, and many of you will have returned to your regular routine by today. You may return to your office to find an inbox full of messages from folks who require your assistance. There may even be a desire to become overwhelmed and frustrated at the start of the year. If you’re feeling this way, please remember one thing: you are not what you do. Even if you’re still on vacation and haven’t yet returned to the grind, I encourage you to think about this crucial concept. Many people who grew up in religious households are shocked to learn that they are not what they do. In fact, I was asked to

“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’” – Judges 6:12 I implore you to transform from a worrier to a warrior! “I don’t want to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death,” Tony Campolo famously declared. I don’t believe God wants this for any of His precious children. I once heard the story of Eli, a young boy. Eli was terrified of anything sharp or pokey as a child, including scissors, needles, splinters, bee stings, and other similar objects. His parents shielded him from sharp objects because they wanted to help him. They stopped going to movies because of the scary scenes, they let his hair grow out because he was frightened of scissors, and they avoided looking at flowers since bees live in flowers. Eli eventually became fearful of leaving the house or doing anything because