“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

No one wants to stay somewhere they feel unwelcome. Imagine a party. You walk in and no one is there to greet you. The other partygoers glance at you and turn away immediately. You find a place to leave your coat and try to mingle. The first group of people you approach are in the middle of a lively story. You smile and attempt to listen in, but the music is too loud, and they don’t make space for you to get closer. You approach another group, and they all go silent and stare at you until you move on. You find what appears to be a bar. As you reach for some kind of beverage in a can someone says, “I’m sorry, Sheila brought those especially for her coworkers.” You take a cup and fill it with water instead.

Would you stick around at such a party?

Now imagine a different party. As you step in the door someone notices you and smiles warmly saying, “I’m so glad you came! Here, let me take your coat.” The music is upbeat but not loud. You approach a group near the door listening to a lively story. The people near you step aside to make room for you. One of them says, “Sheila is regaling us with stories of her trip to Bangkok. She brought back these delicious cans of tamarind juice. Would you like me to get one for you to try?”

Would you stick around that party? I would.

God likes to feel welcome too and won’t hang around where He’s not. Today’s verse reminds me that there are things I can do to make Him feel welcome — like telling Him I believe in Him, acknowledging His fantastic gift of sacrificing His son for me, and taking His advice to heart by loving people. God will be the life of my party if I make Him feel welcome.

Dear God,

I want you to feel welcome in my life. Always. Please come and make your home here. Show me anything that makes you disappointed or sad or angry. Teach me how to change those things for the better. Fill me with your Spirit of love and give me the confidence to speak boldly of you to the other people in my life.

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Anxiety is not new. It wasn’t invented by the current generation. And it isn’t unique to this society. Anxiety has been around since Adam and Eve made their first bad choice and cowered in fear in the Garden instead of running joyfully into God’s arms when they heard Him walking by.

Anxiety was bad then, and it’s bad now. It can ruin lives, stunt productivity, distract from important goals, and distort values. This was exactly what the devil intended when he enticed Adam and Eve way back then. Anxiety is one of his most effective tools.

That’s why Jesus has a whole section, including today’s verse, titled “The Cure for Anxiety” in my translation of the Bible.

It kind of reminds me of Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It was very popular (Number 1 on the charts and Song of the Year in 1989) because it made everyone feel good. But those good feelings didn’t last forever. It wasn’t a cure. It was just a bandage.

Jesus does have the cure however. So what is it?! Everyone listening to Him speak was dying to know. If you read the whole passage, you’ll see that His song would be titled “Don’t Worry, Seek God.”

God’s creation inherited anxiety when we chose our desires over God. So the antidote to anxiety is to choose God. Over everything and anything else. Nothing makes the devil more frustrated. If the devil gives me something to worry about, and I fret and sweat and lie sleepless at night, he throws a little party and laughs with glee. If however, I immediately run to God in prayer when confronted by distress, the devil starts to scream and pull his hair out.

Dear God,

I want to frustrate the devil and his evil schemes. Remind me to turn to you first with everything. Please forgive me for wasting time worrying. Thank you for your love, your generosity, and your promise to provide exactly what I need when I put you first in my life.

“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love — but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Nothing lasts forever. I’ve heard people say this many times about many different things: relationships, jobs, good times, bad times, you name it. And while it’s true that everything in this world seems to have a definite shelf life, the Bible talks of one thing that is forever: love.

Maybe you thought I was going to say God. God is forever, right? It’s a trick question because God is love. So the answer is both God and love. God (aka love) is, was, and always will be. He is eternal.

So why all this talk of eternity? Today’s verse doesn’t look apocalyptic at first glance, but it actually is. Very much so.

Just a few verses before today’s verse Paul says, “Love never ends.” (v. 8) He also says in verse 10 “when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.” Today’s verse answers the question of what is perfect and what is partial. Faith, hope, and love remain. They are the only perfect things. Everything else, even if it seems good, isn’t good enough to withstand God’s cleansing fire. My savings account will end, my job, my car, my marriage, my existence as I know it will end. This world will end and everything in it. Wars, celebrations, countries, inventions, sunrises, civilizations, and caterpillars will all end.

Paul says even knowledge will come to an end. Everything I think I know now will be useless when God cleans house and all things are made new with His love.

Why does he end by saying love is the greatest? Faith, hope, and love may be perfect, but only love is eternal. When God recreates the world, what need will I have of faith or hope? God plans to be right there, visible, in our very midst. I won’t need faith because I can just reach out and touch Him when I need assurance of His loving presence. And I won’t need hope for the same reason. My hopes will have been fulfilled. You don’t hope for a new car when you are already driving it off the lot. You don’t hope for healing after the doctor gives you a clean bill of health.

Love is the greatest because it is perfect, and it is eternal. It is God.

Dear God,

Thank you for the reminder of who you are and what matters in the end. Help me to readjust my perspective on my life. My struggles and striving are temporary. Your goals and plans for me supersede my own. Forgive me when I lose sight of the value of love and prioritize less worthy or lasting pursuits.

“The Lord values those who fear him, those who put their hope in his faithful love.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

My culture hypes things like the Miss America pageant (or Miss Universe – in case there are aliens who’d like to participate) and the World’s Strongest Man competition. There are a plethora of popular “talent” shows too. Clearly we value beauty in women, braun in men, and the ability to entertain in both genders.

I have never seen a competition about who can depend more thoroughly on God. We do not value weakness, dependence, deference, vulnerability… Those are seen as flaws. There will never be a show called America’s Got Humility or America’s Next Top Acolyte. In fact there aren’t really any positive words in English for a humble, reliant person. There are plenty of pejoratives: parasite, moocher, toady, lackey, sycophant, doormat…

But today’s verse reminds me how vastly different God’s values are from the world’s values. They are opposites. Where the world values independence, God values dependence on Him. Where the world values self-confidence, God values confidence in Him. Where the world values strength, God values people who rely on His strength alone.

Dear God,

Help me to align my values with your values and adjust my goals and my attitudes accordingly. Please forgive me for being swayed by the world’s values. I know you love me whether I am beautiful or not, strong or not, talented or not. Thank you for allowing me to depend on your strength and love which is always available to me in abundance.

“but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’m trying to think if anyone has ever asked me about my hope. I don’t think anyone has ever noticed me acting more optimistic or confident or hopeful than seems appropriate for the situation. Not enough to remark to me about it anyway.

I think the problem is that I’m a worrier. My uncle once told me that it’s better to be a pessimist because you’re never disappointed. And I remember thinking that was some really wise advice. It fit with my personality.

But that way of thinking does not suit a Christian at all. Instead of people looking at my life of hope and wanting to know Jesus, the reason for that hope, they see my life of stress and worry. Who would want to worship a god who leaves you in a state like that?! Not me.

My worrying is a sin. It’s something I struggle with often. So today’s verse is a tough one for me. I know Christ is holy. I know He is good and faithful and loving and trustworthy and generous and all-powerful… So why do I waste all this energy worrying?

The answer is I want to be in control. And I know I’m not so holy or powerful or good… So I worry.

Dear God,

Please forgive me for holding on to control and being afraid to trust you. Teach me to stop worrying and to live a life of hope so beautiful that people notice and see you and want to know you too. I’m sorry for my stubbornness. I want to do better. Be better. Remind me constantly to let go and trust your will and your way in all things.

“but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭31‬ ‭CSB‬‬

My best dreams are the ones where I can fly. Unfortunately though, even in my dreams it doesn’t come easy for me. I have to flap my arms really hard and think positive thoughts. Once I’m up in the air, I have to constantly focus and struggle to stay aloft but not go too high. It’s a whole thing.

Even though I have to struggle so much, the flying dreams are still awesome because of the feelings I get from a successful flight. I am the only one who can fly in my dreams. And people around me are always impressed and amazed. I have a great sense of satisfaction and power and being special, above it all, literally.

Dreams are weird.

Today’s verse tells me that all that flapping isn’t necessary in real life. If I trust in Him I can just soar. Soaring is effortless. The wind and updrafts do all the work. Just like God will do the work if I let Him.

But instead, every day I find myself flapping and flapping, trying to keep up with appointments and to-do lists and other obligations. All this flapping really wears me out. At the end of the day, maybe I accomplished some things I feel good about. Maybe my to-do list just got longer.

Some days my flapping is so intense I don’t feel like I can stop long enough to spend time with God. I’m afraid I may sink. But when I do stop and rest and seek Him face and read His word, like today, I feel the wind beneath my wings. Sounds cliché, I guess.

God knows which things I’m flapping toward are actually important. He can soar me over there easily. Do I trust Him? Do I trust Him enough to stop flapping and listen, to let Him guide me?

Dear God,

I don’t want to have to wear myself out every day. I know you don’t want that for me either. Teach me to rely on your ability to help me soar and accomplish easily the things you value and consider important. Forgive my striving after less valuable goals and relying on my own meager wisdom and energy. I want to trust you with my to-do list and keep you at the top.

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift —  not from works, so that no one can boast.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I just played a tennis match for a singles ladder. It’s a new singles ladder so we are all still figuring out where we fit in the list of names. Eventually the names at the top will be the best players, the ones who win more often. The names near the bottom will be less skilled players who lose more often.

Once that is settled, I’ll be able to challenge anyone a name or two above me, knowing I will have a competitive match, and move above them if I win. And anyone a name or two below me can challenge me, hoping to move up.

A singles tennis ladder is a fun and easy way to play a variety of people but also ensure my opponents skills are relatively equal to mine.

But because it is a hierarchical list of names, available to public scrutiny, there are bragging rights when someone ends up on top and bruised egos when someone gets bumped down.

In my match today, I happened to win. But it was very close. It could have gone either way. I made a couple fewer errors than my opponent and a few more winners. I guess I could boast about my win, and my name will move up the ladder making me look good.

But since it was such a close match I don’t feel much like boasting. Today’s verse made me think of this feeling I have because Paul is reminding me that I did nothing to earn my spot in God’s list of names.

To be in God’s Book of Life, I need to be perfect. I am not. And yet my name is in there. I am playing a terrible game of life. I’m making error after error, and yet the Great Referee in the Sky keeps calling my balls in. Is He blind? No, He just loves me so much that He forgives my mistakes and turns them into winners.

And the miracle of God is that everyone can be a winner at this game. He doesn’t want any losers, and there don’t have to be! That’s definitely not possible in my singles ladder. Somehow, if I appeal to the Referee in God’s rigged game, He will accept my remorse and reverse the call. I can win, but I definitely can’t boast about it.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for rigging the game in my favor! And for rigging it somehow in favor of anyone who appeals to you. I know I did nothing to earn this win. My errors are glaring and frequent. I am so grateful that you are my generous and loving referee. Teach me everyday how to cut down on my errors and improve my strokes.

“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

This is something Jesus said after He gave His disciples the example of how to pray, often called The Lord’s Prayer. Part of that prayer is “Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors.” It’s kind of a funny part of the prayer because it is often said this way instead: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” I’ve attended a lot of different churches throughout my life. This prayer is frequently recited as part of the church service. I always pause right before this line to see which translation that particular church uses. It’s a very churchy thing.

Trespassers or debtors.

Both are such awkward, unfamiliar words. If someone were asking me what Jesus meant here, I’d just say forgive anyone who screwed you over. Maybe that’s too crude for a prayer. Forgive anyone who hurt you or was unkind to you or looked at you the wrong way or cheated you or owes you or, back to today’s verse, forgive anyone who offended you.

There are countless ways, major and minor, that someone can hurt me or trespass against me or become my debtor or offend me. But Jesus says I should forgive them all, right away, without question. Without even requiring an apology or acknowledgment.

Why? Because there are even more ways that I have hurt God or offended Him or cheated Him or ignored Him or lied to Him or trespassed against Him. And I am very certainly in His debt.

If I forgive my offenders, He will forgive me. Whew! What a relief.

Forgiveness is hard. But I have a great teacher. And I am so grateful for that.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for your promise to forgive me. Teach me how to forgive my offenders without delay and without grudges. I’m sorry for the times when I grumble and whine or retaliate instead of immediately forgiving them. Remind how beautiful forgiveness feels and give me the strength to share it with others.

“Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Happiness is hard to come by. It seems so fickle. And fleeting. The moment I feel happy, I start worrying about what’s next.

It makes me think how I could never enjoy a sunny day when I lived in Seattle. The sunshine made me panicky because I felt I had to do something worthy of the weather, like a hike or a boat ride or something outdoors at least. I knew it was a rare and precious treat so I couldn’t be happy just to look out my window and appreciate the view.

And when I was growing up in Wisconsin, I couldn’t enjoy summer because winter was next. And winter in Wisconsin was an ominous prospect. Spring was always my favorite, even though it was often a muddy, foggy time, simply because I still had summer to look forward to.

The kind of happiness that the Psalmist is talking about in today’s verse isn’t like that. It’s not fleeting or fragile. Because it’s centered on God not on temporary moments of pleasure. God is the opposite of temporary. He calls Himself I AM because He always was and always will be. He just IS.

That kind of permanence is something worthy of tying my happiness hopes to. If I follow His wise decrees and seek to have a relationship with Him, He promises to be with me. Always. Guiding, teaching, leading, and loving. I don’t need to panic because He won’t suddenly go behind the clouds like Seattle’s shy sun. And He doesn’t have seasons where He is cold for months on end like Wisconsin winters.

God is always my sunny summer.

Dear God,

Thank you for always being here. Thank you just for always being. Your permanence is so comforting. I know if I tie my happiness to my relationship with you, I will always be happy. Forgive me for relying on temporary, unreliable things more than I rely on you. Teach me how to value your word and your presence more than anything else in my life.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When bad things happen, my tendency is to turn to God with accusations in my heart asking, “Why?!”

It’s funny — I don’t do the same thing when good things happen.

Today’s verse says this reaction is exactly backwards. God is only to be given credit for good things in my life, not bad.

Prior to today’s verse, James explains that temptation and evil do not come from God. They are birthed from my own selfish desires, encouraged to grow into sin by the devil, and would ultimately, if it weren’t for Jesus, end in death.

But when bad things happen, I rarely look to my own choices, the choices of other people, or the devil running wild in a greedy, fallen world.

God is not at fault. He is love. He is good. Everything He does is good. He doesn’t change. He is always good. Everything good in my life is because of Him.

So why do I blame God for the bad stuff?

When a child is killed in a car accident, I ask God why.

The only thing He’s guilty of is giving us freedom. He gave someone freedom to choose to drink and drive that day. And He gave people freedom to choose to invent vehicles capable of causing such tragedies. It breaks His heart to watch our choices knowing their consequences, but He loves us so much that He is willing, for now, to let us suffer the consequences of our choices. But because of Jesus, His mercy will one day put an end to even those consequences. Evil will be wiped away for good.

Dear God,

Thank you for your faithful love and consistent goodness. Thank you for the many, many things in my life that are good! Forgive me for blaming you for the bad things in my life and in the world. Show me my culpability when I can make changes or better choices. I appreciate the freedom you’ve given me to make those choices. But I so look forward to the day when evil no longer exists.