Author: georgiapointer

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1

I recently got caught in a funk. Just when the Lord had pulled me out of one funk, I got caught in another. This time I stepped into the trap of comparing myself to someone else. I could see the bony finger of the enemy poking me in my chest as he spewed, “If you had been more like her, your life would be better. This is just one more way you have failed and it’s too late to turn things around.” It was awful! The voice, camouflaged as my own, went on to paint a rosy picture of all the possible ways the other person succeeded where I fell short. My heart was heavy with discouragement. Then my gracious Lord came riding in with the Sword of the Spirit ( Ephesians 6:17) pronouncing today’s verse to me. Right away, the light of truth revealed that my mind was not set on heavenly things. My setting needed an adjustment.

How about yours? Has the political, racial, financial, and physical climate of this world knocked your mind off it’s heavenly setting? Have your circumstances?

Depression, negativity, ingratitude, grouchiness, impatience, and sometimes hopelessness are good indicators that our mindset has shifted. The way back is to look up, to remember what the Lord has said and give it preeminence over every contrary thought. (2 Corinthians 10:5). Because of Christ, we have the upper hand in everything, but if our thinking is skewed, we risk a certain poverty that blinds us to His plenty.

I have found the Father to be gracious and compassionate, My Friend. He specializes in realignments and resets, and He welcomes us when we come to Him. Do you need His help in that way today?

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

If someone who does not know you were to have recorded every word you said yesterday, what conclusions would they draw about you? Would they see a different person depending on who was around you? Would they say you were of the same character throughout the day?

It is easy to forget that the Lord hears every word and has promised we will answer for every one of them. It is easier still to forget that the words that come out of our mouths tell the truth about our hearts.

None of us gets it right all the time, but let us strive to be more mindful of what we allow to come out of our mouths today. When we stand before the Lord, may He find that the number of sweet, encouraging, and edifying words outnumber the ones that displease Him.

We have not truly loved someone until we love them for who they are instead of who we thought they were.

“The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:7-8

Somewhere in my childhood, I recall seeing a baby eating poop out of a diaper. I alerted an adult who took care of the matter, but to this day I recall how calmly the baby devoured the feces. Of course now I know the baby did not know to be repulsed, he or she had not been in the world long enough to have the conditioning needed to understand the taboos of poop consumption.

Likewise, we live in a world where people commit immorality with such causality it makes us our jaws drop. All kinds of sexual sin, profanity, disregard for human life in and out of the womb, disrespect, and greed only begin the long list of defecations people consume with such ease. It can be overwhelming and discouraging if we forget one crucial fact: this is normal behavior for any heart devoid of the power of the Spirit of the Living God. Were it not for the grace of God intervening in our own lives, we would be consuming the same filth.

Just as that baby was only doing what babies do, people are only doing what lost people do. It does not stop that sick feeling we get when we see sin ravaging the lives of those caught up in it, but it explains the why of what we see. Like the baby’s mother rushing to snatch the nasty meal, so we need to exercise patient urgency through the sharing of the gospel and prayer to rescue those standing in the same shoes of ignorance of the truth we once wore.

Photo provided by Samantha Davis

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Iwas struggling the other day. I was trying to cook a low-sodium chicken dish per my husband’s dietary restrictions. He had recently gotten out of the hospital, and I was overwhelmed with the idea of cooking more while working a full-time job. I did not feel like cooking to begin with and on top of that, the Pinterest post rambled on about the chicken dish without ever giving me the actual recipe! Like annoying flies, ads kept popping up, and I swatted them away by trying to press the tiny x in the corners without activating their videos. Additionally, I was trying to get ready for work, cook breakfast, and do the morning routine with my 85-year-old mother-in-law. In that moment of extreme frustration, the Holy Spirit, in His trade-mark gentleness, whispered todays’s verse into my heart. We often limit this verse to loftier things, but God meant for “all things” to include prepping chicken dishes, getting out of the door on time for work, and patience in wading through annoying ads on Pinterest. He is a God for every area of life. So I said to myself, “I can prepare this chicken dish through Christ Who strengthens me.” I was immediately flooded with peace and confidence.

I encourage you to see the “all things” like a blank to fill in with whatever you need Jesus to strengthen you to do. What is on your blank? Say it out loud if you must. I would love to hear what some of yours are. Fill in the blank!

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

Standing in line a safe distance away, I could not help but make a few observations about the woman being served ahead of me at the checkout counter. Let’s just say she was a generous size, but the shorts she wore were stingy. I was not sure she was even wearing shorts until she walked out and the hip-length T-shirt shifted a little to reveal an enormous amount of skin that the shorts were never intended to cover.

We have all encountered women like this. If we are not careful, we will find ourselves judging them, but what would Jesus have us do? An immodest woman sends out signals she is unaware she is sending. Some are begging for any man to notice them. Some are revealing a lack of training at home. Others are flouting their upbringing in an attempt to express autonomy. Still others show they have taken their cues about beauty from the media that is only trying to get into their purse. Whatever the reason, the need is the same: Jesus. Instead of judging these women, why not see every immodesty as a trigger to pray? What if those short shorts and low-cut tops provoked a prayer for her salvation and sense of identity? The need is so great in our culture, is it not? Let us determine to do our part in turning things around in this small but profound way!

“A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way” Proverbs 20:24

Father, my life can be so hectic sometimes and I am so easily distracted. I have found distraction to be a subtle thief of present opportunity. I need You to help me be present instead of mentally wandering too far into the future or lagging back in my past. Today is a new day and You have a path You want me to walk. I surrender to You. Carry me along by the wind of Your Sovereign Spirit. Help me not to tip the scale of today with more than You intend. Grace me to give each human encounter the respect it deserves. Do not let me poison this fresh day with worry that would rob today of it’s joy. You said You are an ever-present Help. May this knowledge help me to be present as I rest in You and give this day my best.

Do not let your anger make you uglier than the one who stirred it up!

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid….” Psalm 118:6

Your life may look nothing like you thought it would. Whether due to unexpected current events, a health diagnosis, financial fiasco, or any number of other happenings, you can know one thing: God has a plan for you in your unplanned season. Because God is all-knowing, the gasp of surprise never fills His lungs, if you will. As such, He has a roadmap for you to follow in this uncharted land of the unexpected. He has had it ready since before you were born. Instead of wringing your hands or cursing the changes, why not scoot closer and ask what He would have you do? Let the peace of knowing your unplanned has pre-planned instructions sink in. You are in good hands, My Friend. Your Heavenly Father has everything under control and, like any good daddy would, He will give whatever you need to get to the other side of this unexpected experience.

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27

Hard situations have a way of blindfolding you to hope. The darkness can loom so thickly that doubt tries to claim squatter’s rights it never dared in the light. Backpedaling on the solid ground of your faith, your unbelief pushes you to the edge and you plunge headlong into despair. Even then, God’s great hand can rescue you. Even then, He knows a way out. He is the One Who makes a road in the wilderness, creates rivers in a wasteland, and springs roots out of dry ground! (Isaiah 43:19). Nothing is impossible with Him, including whatever situation you are facing. Remind yourself of Who God is, My Friend. Renew your mind through His Word, share your struggles with those who have seen God do the impossible. You will discover anew that you can get where you need to be from the impossible place you are now.