Tag Archives: Charles Stanley

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Charles Stanley – How to Advance through Adversity

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Romans 8:16-18

When difficulties arise, how can you be sure you’re responding in a way that would please the Lord? Here is an acrostic, based on the word adversity, that suggests the steps you should take:

Accept the events of your life as part of how God equips you.

Decide to follow Jesus’ ways of responding to trials.

Veer to neither the right nor left from the path of obedience.

Expect the Holy Spirit to help you grow through your difficulties.

Remember how the Lord has helped you in the past.

Set your face like flint (Isa. 50:7) to endure the trial without wavering.

Invest additional time in your relationship with God.

Trust the Lord, especially when you do not understand.

Yearn to be made ready for the return of our Savior.

Adversity will either harden or soften us. Some people become hardhearted and resist God in times of adversity, but those who know how to respond are softened by troubles and broken. But when it is of the Lord, brokenness is a positive thing that prepares, equips, energizes, and empowers us as children of the King. We will come to know the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings and proclaim with Paul, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4:17 NIV).

Let us take as our position the words of James 1:2-4, which says to “consider it all joy” when we encounter trials, because such testing of our faith produces endurance and perfects us.

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Charles Stanley – Advancing Through Adversity

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Job 5:7-11

“Why is this happening to me?” When we are bewildered by life, we cry out to anyone who will listen, “What is the point of trials?” Our thoughts become confused, our emotions chaotic, and our steps slowed. Scripture answers these questions. In response to “Why,” it tells us that we live in a fallen world filled with sinful people, that even the redeemed struggle with sin, and that Satan—the “ruler of this world”—has great influence here. No wonder why trials happen!

But there is something else that we are wise to consider—namely, what is God’s purpose in our adversity? It could be that He desires to get our attention because we have ignored His other signals. Or it could be to keep our attention on Him. When the Israelites lived in the desert, it must have seemed a great trial to have no food left at the end of each day. But God knew that if He provided more than one day’s supply at a time, the people would stop looking to Him. This “trial” kept their attention on their Provider.

Adversity can also be a tool to remind us of God’s great love for us. We can become so used to His love that we don’t appreciate it until we hit a bump. What’s more, hardships can help us to know the Lord in a deeper way. To experience Him as our comfort requires that there be a need for comfort. Or perhaps He wants to lead us into self-examination. We tend to ignore our wanderings from God’s ways. When halted by an obstacle, we have time to discover the wrong turns we’ve made.

Whatever the reason for your trial, know that God has purpose in adversity and that He has allowed it for your good (Rom. 8:28).

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Charles Stanley – Facing Adversity

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Hebrews 12:1-2

When a child hurts, our focus is to restore comfort quickly. We remove obstacles so that a toddler will have a clear path to walk. And many parents seek to minimize frustration for school-age children by helping with homework—sometimes offering more assistance than necessary. While wanting to ease children’s discomfort is understandable, we may inadvertently convey a subtle message that obstacles and pain are to be eliminated at all costs. This viewpoint can get carried into adulthood, and unfortunately, it is a harmful one.

Difficulties are a part of life, and if we expect otherwise, we will be consistently disappointed. Then disappointment, if allowed to remain, can turn us away from the Lord. A lot of time can be wasted trying to avoid trials when we could be trusting God for the future. We also expend energy and prayer power seeking to get out of our tough situations instead of asking the Lord how He wants us to respond. Most importantly, God does not view adversity as the tragedy we interpret it to be. As a result, our thinking is in opposition to His.

God sees redemptive value in our trials. Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross prove the mighty spiritual work God can accomplish through adversity. He uses difficulties to advance our spiritual life and to achieve His great purposes for us. Rather than “set-backs” in our lives, our struggles are actually opportunities for spiritual advancement.

None of us enjoy trouble, but in this sin-sick world, sorrow and hardships are guaranteed. Let us surrender our thinking and ask to have the mind of Christ, who trusted the Father’s ways even unto death on the cross.

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Charles Stanley – Born Again

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John 3:1-8

Nicodemus was a Pharisee—a learned man of the law and member of the rabbinical council known as the Sanhedrin. People of his day would have assumed that such credentials guaranteed his spiritual well-being. Nevertheless, Jesus told him that the only way to enter the kingdom of God was to be born again.

Many people today are like Nicodemus. They’re religious. They’re moral. They compare themselves to others and, as a result, feel pretty good. They reason, Somehow, ourloving, gracious, wonderful God will make it possible for all of us to end up in heaven. Yet this is absolutely false. The Lord Jesus said, “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again”’ (John 3:7).

Our sins separate us from God. Being good cannot close the gap, because no matter how well we try to behave, all of us sin. It is our nature to be sinful, and our nature is something we cannot change.

The great self-deception has to do with thinking, I can perform well enough to be acceptable to the Lord. The only way to be acceptable to God is to be born from above, by an act of God. Then the soul and spirit are radically changed forever. When a person places trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she experiences a regeneration—a giving of divine life to the spirit. In other words, at the moment of salvation, we become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV).

You may be “performing” well by serving God, reading the Bible, giving, and praying. But has there ever been a radical change in your soul—a time when you came into a personal relationship with God? Do you have a new nature through the work of the Holy Spirit? If you cannot answer yes to these questions, you need to be born again.

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Charles Stanley – The Cost of Uncontrolled Anger

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James 1:19-20

Anger is an extremely powerful emotion. It can destroy lives, tear relationships apart, and ruin a believer’s witness.

The apostle Paul understood the negative potential of resentment, and he offered this advice on how to deal with it: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

When we’re right in the middle of tense situations, Paul’s recommendations may seem unrealistic and impractical. But unless we apply his advice, we could easily face the devastating consequences of uncontrolled rage. For example, our anger can shut down communication with others. It can also lead to a silent but very damaging type of resentment—the “passive-aggressive” person takes out his bitterness on others in subtle ways. One of the most harmful consequences of uncontrolled anger is depression. Over time, inner turmoil and unresolved conflicts will take their toll on a person’s mental health.

But we have a choice. We can let our anger control us—which means we opt to suffer the consequences. Or we can release this debilitating emotion by forgiving those we feel have stirred our bitterness.

Try to identify causes of anger in your life, and bring them before the Lord. Trust that He will empower you to overcome these sources of strife. Read Ephesians 4:31-3 once more, and let the truth of God’s Word strengthen you.

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Charles Stanley – God’s Spirit: An Essential

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Luke 24:36-49

Just how necessary is the Holy Spirit for those wishing to live a God-pleasing life? For an answer, let’s look at a clear example from the Bible. Jesus had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until their baptism by His Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). This chosen group of men had lived with the Lord and listened to His teachings for more than three years; nevertheless, He knew they couldn’t begin their work without the divine partner God had planned for them. The same holds true for us today.

Just who is the Holy Spirit? He is called the third person of the Trinity, the other two members being God the Father and God the Son. Like them, He is fully God. Some Christians mistakenly think of the Spirit as a force or a power, but the Bible reveals He is a person—someone whom we can get to know.

He is also the promise of the Father. God pledged to send His Spirit as a helper to every single person in His family. Called the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17), He is charged with transforming us into the image of Jesus.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is a gift to every Christian. At the moment of salvation, He is sent to live within each believer, sealing him or her as a child of God (Eph. 1:13). We do not have to pray to receive Him, nor can we perform any work to get Him.

Settle in your mind once and for all that within you is a divine Person. His presence is a gift promised and given to you by God on your spiritual “birth-day.” By getting to know the Holy Spirit better and listening carefully to what He says throughout the Scriptures, you will be able to please the Father (Col. 1:10).

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Charles Stanley – Selfish Christianity

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John 6:22-27

Think honestly about this question: Which interests you more—who Jesus is or what He can do for you? I’m afraid that too many of us are more concerned about what the Lord can give us than we are about getting to know who He is.

But this is nothing new—Jesus had the same problem when He walked on earth. The crowds often sought Him out for what He could do for them. Even though their needs were quite often legitimate, Christ knew their motives.

There is a fine line between selfishly trying to use the Lord to get what we want and humbly coming to Him with our needs and struggles. Some of the issues we bring to Him are so pressing and urgent in our minds that our desire for Him to take action in the way we want becomes greater than our willingness to submit to His will. At times, what we call “faith” is really a demanding spirit.

We must remember that our earthly needs will come to an end, but Jesus Christ will remain forever. If our prayers have dealt only with presenting our requests to the Lord, then we are missing a great opportunity to get to know the One with whom we are going to spend all eternity. Let’s invest time in pursuing intimacy with the great God who created us. Then we can enjoy all the benefits of that relationship forever.

How much of your communion with God is devoted to your needs—even legitimate ones? Are you spending any time getting to know the Lord? Although God delights in our prayers and tells us to pray about everything, He also wants us to come to Him just because we enjoy being with Him.

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Charles Stanley – Why We Miss God’s Will

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1 John 5:13-15

The Father has provided the Holy Spirit to teach His children about His will for their lives (John 14:26). Why, then, do we have difficulty understanding what the plan is?

We make decisions based on emotion. When life presses in on us, our instinct is to move away from the source of stress or pain. At such times, our need to remove difficulties and turmoil from our life can take precedence over the Lord’s plan. We figure He could not possibly want us to feel this way, so we take action and then hope that we are in His will. Our emphasis is on ourselves rather than on God’s purposes.

We focus only on the immediate. Many times we come to the Lord troubled about the choices we or our loved ones are facing. We do not see how this situation could possibly be His will. Our short-term focus prevents us from seeing God’s long-term purposes.

We conduct a superficial search. In our desire for an answer, we can fall into a trap and treat finding God’s will like a checklist—read the Bible, pray, fast, serve, worship, give. Then, satisfied with what we have done, we press the Lord for His answer now. But we have neglected to give God the time and stillness needed for us to hear from Him (Ps. 46:10). Investing time with our Creator is a necessity, not a luxury, and listening to Him without distractions is essential.

How much Bible study is required to find out what our heavenly Father wants for us? What amount of prayer? What quantity of time? The answer is simple: Whatever it takes to hear from God. He will answer. The question is, Will we wait?

 

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Charles Stanley – Missing God’s Will

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Psalm 119:17-24

How would you describe the process of discovering God’s will? Would you call it . . .

Fantasy (“I do not believe God has a plan for specific areas of my life”)?

Mystery (“God has a plan, but it is so hard to figure out”)?

Biography (“I know Scripture reveals who God is and what His plans are, but at times I get confused”)?

Let’s look at some of the reasons that we might miss God’s will.

• Handling God’s Word improperly. When our days become jam-packed with commitments and activities, we have trouble maintaining a steady intake of Scripture. Without significant time in the Word, we tend to forget what matters to God. When we start mixing the world’s lies with the Father’s truth, we will step out of His plan. Other times we will incorrectly use Scripture to bolster decisions we have already made. Or, when the Bible does not match what we want, we might reject it and do things our own way.

• Picking the wrong guide. When making decisions, we sometimes rely too heavily on other peoples’ opinions. We think that the easiest and quickest way to get answers is to ask fellow Christians or unbelievers who seem “wise.” In other instances, we use our friends’ lifestyle as a yardstick for God’s will: we decide that if they can act a certain way, so can we. Or we might assume that if our way is better than their choices, God will approve.

Making Scripture your daily companion is the best way not to miss God’s plan. Be prepared to spend time reading and listening while the Spirit teaches you what God’s will is for your life.

 

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Charles Stanley – Building Solid Friendships

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Proverbs 17:17

Friendships are among our most valuable assets. Acquiring quality companions—those who will laugh with us in good times and stand by us during trials—requires shared commitment and an investment of time and energy. Healthy relationships thrive on . . .

Transparency. We must be honest with friends and encourage them to be truthful in return. To preserve a strong bond, we can’t hide hurts or feelings of rejection they may have caused. Transparency that is tied to accountability can also help make each individual a better person. A solid relationship allows each party to gently point out errors in the other’s life and offer loving correction.

Time and talk. Genuine friendship takes time to develop. We must be willing to put aside other obligations and give priority to moments spent together. A generous portion of our time with each other should be spent talking—speaking about our thoughts and desires and also asking questions to prompt our companion to open up. This type of conversation allows a glimpse into the other person’s heart and mind.

Thanks. Everyone likes to feel appreciated. Expressing gratitude when friends are helpful will remind them that we’re thankful to have them in our life. Moreover, we affirm our love when we communicate how much we enjoy a certain aspect of their personality or remember an occasion that is special to them.

Being a good friend is a way to serve the Lord. He designed us to be in relationship with others, so we should give our best to every companion the Lord places in our life.

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Charles Stanley – Saving Troubled Friendships

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Matthew 5:23-24

When we develop friendships, we intend for them to last. But since two fallen human beings are involved, occasional hurt feelings and unmet expectations are likely. If one or both people simply ignore the affront, the relationship can be damaged. Repairing a troubled friendship requires humility to admit our faults, effort to fix the problem, and time. But the reward is a renewed connection with a valued companion.

The process of saving a friendship begins when you acknowledge that damage exists. This takes place the moment you say, “I feel something isn’t right in our relationship. I’d like for us to find and fix the problem.” It is helpful to work together to assess how the trouble began—perhaps it resulted from a misunderstanding, an unresolved conflict, one person’s busyness, or the like.

After recognizing the problem, apologize for your part in it. Taking responsibility and saying “I’m sorry” shows your love and commitment to the friendship. Remember that an essential aspect of apologizing is refusing to justify wrong actions or blame someone else.

An apology must be followed up with amends. Ask your friend what specific action you both can take to rebuild the relationship. Then commit to follow his or her suggestion while occasionally asking, “How am I doing?”

Rather than waiting until their relationship is in trouble, wise friends will go through these steps as soon as they are aware of having hurt a loved one. As with physical injury, preventative care can soothe minor scrapes before they become serious wounds.

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Charles Stanley – Much Practice

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No matter what you desire to do, some element of practice is required for the end result to be excellent. No one is born with any ability that is fully developed. Most skills are developed slowly and incrementally.

As you follow God and He prepares you to pursue His purpose for your life, you may be discouraged at how slowly you progress. But stick with it. True gifts, skills, and talents are worth developing to the point of mastery. When you have mastered something, you no longer have to struggle at it. You may work at it, but the sense of struggle is gone.

There’s an old saying: “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.” That’s the goal in the development of your God-given talents. The Creator did not give you gifts to have you squander them, ignore them, or dabble at them. He intends for you to develop them to the highest levels possible.

I strongly encourage you to make practicing your gifts and talents an act of praise to God. You may never have thought about it that way. But I have no doubt that you will gain much if you begin your practice times with prayer. Simply tell God, “I exalt You, Lord, and I thank You for the gift You have given to me. I know You are the Giver of my talent, and I give You this session of practice as my gift to You today.”

A young college-age musician was encouraged to think this way, and she later said, “I sat down to practice the clarinet, and I made a conscious decision to see that half hour as an offering of praise to God. I can only begin to tell you what happened. I played better in those 30 minutes than I ever had before. The more I saw myself as playing for God—like a private mini-concert just for Him—the more I found myself wanting to play with perfection and also with sensitivity. I thoroughly enjoyed my practice time and came away feeling absolutely great. I also felt inside me a greater excitement about playing the clarinet than I had ever felt before. It was an amazing time.”

What about practicing your skill? Something wonderful will happen in you when you make it an act of praise to God as well.

Takeaway

While “practice” is another way of saying “work,” the development of your gift can be a source of immense joy for you. Few things bring greater satisfaction than knowing that you have tackled a difficult skill and mastered it. Along the way, you will find these concepts coming into play as you develop your gifts:

Diligence. Practice must be regular and frequent. That takes diligence.

Discipline. Practice doesn’t happen by accident. You must plan for it and set apart time for it. You must motivate yourself to actually do it.

Perseverance. There will be days when you will be discouraged by your lack of progress. You must persevere.

Consistency. Practice is most effective when it is focused and scheduled as a regular part of your daily or weekly routine.

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Charles Stanley – Benefits of Having the Holy Spirit

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John 16:5-22

The disciples were blessed to be in Jesus’ inner circle—can you imagine the countless benefits they enjoyed from listening to His teaching and watching Him do supernatural wonders? Perhaps you’ve wished you, too, could have lived in those days and walked the dusty roads with Him. From our present perspective, we can’t conceive of anything greater than seeing Jesus in person.

Since that’s exactly how the disciples felt, we can understand why they were saddened when He announced that He was returning to His Father in heaven. But He promised to send them a Helper—and even said that it was to their advantage that He was leaving so the Spirit could come. Today, we live in the era of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but do we really understand the advantages we have because of His presence in our lives?

Although we can’t see Jesus face to face, we can have an even more intimate relationship with Him because we carry His Holy Spirit within our bodies. One of the Spirit’s tasks is to disclose the things of Jesus. If we need wisdom and insight, He’s ready to provide it whenever we read God’s Word. He’s also the one who unleashes power in our lives—the same divine power Christ used to accomplish His Father’s will.

Despite such wonderful advantages, many believers never sense the Spirit’s presence or access the insight and power available to them. Is God’s Holy Spirit your intimate companion, guide, and helper, or is He merely some vague Christian concept? Don’t neglect this treasure—understand that almighty God lives within you!

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Charles Stanley – How to Reach Your Goals

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1 Samuel 17:24-47

In order to become the people God wants us to be and achieve the work He has planned for us to do, we need to ask ourselves several questions.

l. Do I have a clear picture of who God wants me to become? Try writing down where you believe the transforming work of God is bringing you. It is important to be able to visualize what we will be like and the improvements that will come about once we have accomplished our goals.

2. Do I have a consuming desire to meet the goals God has given me? Passion is essential in motivating us to make the harder changes the Lord requires—and to achieve all the tasks He has given us. Our degree of commitment will be revealed by our motivation and sense of urgency about meeting our goals.

3. Is my confidence resting in my relationship with Jesus and His promises to me? (See Philippians 4:13.) It is valuable to develop a habit of remembering past times when the Lord helped us. Without confidence in Him, we may become discouraged when we meet obstacles.

4. Do I know my course of action? The key word here is action. To move forward requires having a strategy that points us in the direction God wants us to go.

5. Have I established a calendar of events and deadlines for meeting the goals? Responding to God’s direction in a timely fashion is essential in order to make progress.

Many people cannot answer most of these questions positively. If that’s the case for you, do not let yourself be discouraged. Instead, recognize the opportunity before you: the Lord already knew what you would answer—and He is waiting to help.

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Charles Stanley – The Advantages of Goal Setting

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Colossians 3:23-24

If you’ve ever been locked out of your house, you know how important keys are. For believers, goal setting is a key that opens the door to Christlike living and affects us in a number of ways. Let’s think about five changes we can look for.

1. Excitement is renewed. When we are not clear on our direction, enthusiasm wanes. Excitement comes as we strive toward our goals and see the Lord at work transforming us.

2. Direction replaces drifting. Without goals, we lose sight of where we’re headed and instead begin to drift. Complacency replaces passion, and we start allowing justification to enter our thought process—such as, This is just who I am. Goals help us focus on who we are becoming.

3. Excellence replaces mediocrity. Without goals, we start living a humdrum “don’t bother me” way of life. Working with focus counters this mindset.

4. Our attitudes will improve. When we don’t like the choices we’re making, our tendency can be to criticize others. But when we are following God’s plan, we will feel better about ourselves and relate more positively to those around us.

5. Life will be rewarding. If we live for ourselves, we will be disappointed. Setting godly goals helps us wisely use the time, energy, resources, and talents that the Lord has given us. Life is a gift, and we are to be good stewards of it. That is difficult to do in the absence of goals.

It will be easier to identify distractions and evaluate opportunities if you compare them to established goals. Choices then become clearer, and you will be able to reap the benefits of goal setting: enthusiasm, direction, excellence, and reward.

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Charles Stanley – Goal Setting: The Key to Success

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Philippians 3:7-14

The world is full of advice on how to set and achieve goals. In each case, the steps start with us—identifying who we want to become and what we should do to be “successful.” But Christian goal setting is to start with an attitude and focus that is God-centered.

The attitude is: I want to be who God wants me to be. The focus is: I will look to God for direction in all areas of my life, and I will obey. Both aspects involve identifying the steps that the Lord wants us to take, but oftentimes we find ourselves not doing that. Let’s consider what stops us.

Some people lack knowledge on how to identify the Lord’s plan, whereas others are mentally lazy. The solution to both situations is to give attention to the Word of God. When we invest significant time considering Jesus’ life and words, we will learn His pattern for living and then be able to identify specific steps to take. This requires mental energy and commitment, but the reward is great.

Lack of faith can be another hindrance. When that’s the problem, we tend to think, Why should we set goals when we are convinced we cannot do what the Lord’s asking? The answer is to build our faith through systematic Bible study and apply it by setting a series of smaller goals.

Fear of failure can also prevent us from establishing goals. We can overcome this obstacle by remembering that in Christ, there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

Do you desire to move ahead in your Christian life, becoming more like Jesus and acting less like your old self? Goal setting with the right attitude and focus will help.

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Charles Stanley – Effective Witnesses

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Philippians 2:12-16

Some of the most effective witnesses are those who have gone through painful, trying circumstances. Consider how the gospel has spread in parts of the world that are poor, oppressed, and troubled. Or think about the way that you respond to the triumphant stories of former criminals, abuse victims, and religious prisoners. God’s power is manifest in man’s weakest moments.

Whether believers develop into stronger witnesses as a result of difficulties depends on their response to crisis. Many people make the mistake of focusing on the will of man instead of God’s sovereignty. Then they find it impossible to believe that the Lord will bring positive results from their pain.

Those who rise above their circumstances understand that God uses every experience for good (Rom. 8:28). To trust that principle, we must realize whatever we experience is under the authority of a kind, loving Father. Paul’s time in prison yielded better and more abundant fruit than he could have produced any other way (Phil. 1:13). He spread the gospel to the most elite Roman soldiers because he was chained to one after another every day for years. As we turn our attention to Christ, He reveals opportunities for impacting people with the gospel. These are often chances we wouldn’t have had apart from trying circumstances.

You are always in God’s hand. Focusing upon His sovereign will and the good He has in store for you is not easy in hard times. I understand. But I also know that God never allows anything to touch us that He will not turn to our benefit and the good of His kingdom.

 

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Charles Stanley – Jesus: The Only Way to Heaven

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John 10:1-11

While there are many religions, there is only one way to heaven. Jesus clearly states that “no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). He used several picturesque descriptions to emphasize this point—He called Himself the way (14:6), the door (10:9), the living bread (6:51), and the good shepherd (10:11).

God does not expect you to follow some kind of ritual to make Jesus the Lord of your life—you can use any words that you like. However, some biblical elements are essential when beginning a relationship with Him:

• Confess your sin and admit your need for a Savior (1 John 1:9).

• Place your trust in Jesus Christ as the only possible Savior, acknowledging that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again three days later (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:3-4).

• Believe that your sins are forgiven and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (1 John 5:11-13).

Every person has a choice to make. Death is inevitable, but we can decide whether, on exiting this world, we will enter eternal torment or the everlasting beauty of God’s presence. Let me make this very clear: What a person believes about heaven and hell won’t influence God in the slightest. People will be judged not by their attitudes but by the truth of His Word.

Scripture declares there is but one way to heaven—through faith in Jesus Christ. His gospel is a straight path from the pit of sin to the glory of heaven, with the promise of an abundant life in between. What we must do is go through the Door and follow the Way; then the Living Bread will sustain us.

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Charles Stanley – How can I endure in my faith during hard times?

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Zephaniah 3:17

You are God’s masterpiece, and He has given you His Word as a testimony to the love and joy He has for you. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

God rejoices over you and is transforming your life to reflect His goodness to others. He has an awesome plan for your life. You are not yet what you will be when you step into the eternal presence of God (1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2). Until that time, God is patiently molding and shaping you into the image of His Son. Therefore, you never have a reason to give up (Gal. 6:9). You are not alone! Jesus is with you, cheering you on to victory. He is at your side to strengthen and encourage you. When you fix your eyes on Him and not on your circumstances, you will begin to see life differently. Instead of thinking negatively, the Holy Spirit will teach you to think about the things of God—pure thoughts that honor Jesus Christ.

God also makes it clear that He loves you with an everlasting love and has pledged to never leave or forsake you (Deut. 31:6, 8; John 14:18; Heb. 13:5). He walks with you through disappointment, and when you confess your sins, “He is faithful and righteous to forgive [your] sins and to cleanse [you] from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He has seen the finished portrait! While on your own you can do nothing, He knows that through Christ you can and will succeed (Phil. 1:6; 4:13). This does not mean that you won’t suffer or feel pain. Jesus endured both, and yet He did not give up. He knew that in order to complete His mission He would have to endure until the end, and He wanted more than anything else to accomplish the Father’s will.

How could He possibly bear the weight of all our sins and still remain victorious? Because He had an eternal perspective (Heb. 12:2). Long before it happened, Jesus saw the Resurrection as a completed fact (Matt. 20:18, 19)—that after three days, He would rise from the grave to walk in victory over sin and death (1 Cor. 15:55–57). You can walk in confidence and triumph because Jesus is your example and His Spirit lives in you. Like colors on an artist’s palette, God can work through every situation in your life—even the one you are facing right now—to bring you closer to Himself (Jer. 29:11–13; Rom. 8:28).

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Charles Stanley – Do You Honor Your Mother?

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Exodus 20:12

Respecting mothers and fathers is so important to the Lord that one of His Ten Commandments relates to parents. On this Mother’s Day weekend, it seems fitting to outline ways to honor Mom.

Show unconditional love. Honor begins with accepting a person no matter what. And that means Mom deserves love and respect whether or not you agree with her parenting style. So if you have been measuring her against other women or perhaps by your own preferences of what a mother should be and do, recognize that you’ve set an unfair standard, and determine to treat her kindly.

Be sympathetic. Mom isn’t perfect, and she’s under a lot of pressure. Someone calculated that it would take a six-figure salary to hire help for the various tasks mothers perform: driver, laundress, cook, nurse, etc. Mom doesn’t expect a paycheck, but we can be understanding when she gets sick or asks for help. And remember, she also needs alone time and an occasional reprieve. The Lord has given her an awesome responsibility—one that doesn’t end when her children leave home. See that she receives your attention and compassion.

Listen. Your mother is smarter than you know. She has insight and perspective that can guide you well, particularly if she is a godly woman. God has placed her in your life to look out for you, so be wise enough to listen.

One day a year is simply not enough to show any person his or her value in our sight. Our mothers should know that they can count on our unconditional love, our listening ear when they offer guidance, and our sympathy when they express needs. Let’s make every day a mother’s day.