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My wife Rita created a good tradition early on with our four daughters. At Christmas or birthdays, after one of the girls opened a present they were instructed to walk over and thank the gift giver. Rita knew a child's (even an adult's) tendency is to jump into enjoying the gift without expressing gratitude to the giver.

To finish well is to plan well; to plan well is to understand the cost of commitment. The commitment to follow Christ is not an added luxury but standard equipment for the Christian. To plan to finish well is to plan to follow Christ daily in humility and sacrifice. To finish well tomorrow means you finish well today.

Prayer is not a passive undertaking, but an aggressive engagement with God. It is a labor of love. It is a toil of trust. It is a work of the Holy Spirit through holy intercessors. Indeed, prayer without spiritual perspiration lacks the intensity the Spirit requires.

Those who invite the message of Christ to dwell in their lives, learn to live life to its fullest. Like a guest who brings a generous house warming gift, so God is generous in handing out His wise instruction to humble hearts.

God blesses a country that honors Him, but He brings down a country that dishonors Him. It honors Him for His people to pray in earnest for righteousness to reign in religion, the work place, seats of government and the home. It dishonors the Lord when we behave like His commands are suggestions and we marginalize His mandates. Countries founded on Christ are blessed if they continue with Christ.

He is alive and I am forgiven and my soul has been set free. He is alive and I am forgiven and my joy I cannot contain. He is alive and I am forgiven and my faith is here to stay. He is alive and I am forgiven and my love flows deep and wide. He is alive and I am forgiven because He did what He promised—He arose after three days. He is alive! He is alive! He is alive!

God’s work is not rushed or rattled. He quietly gets things done. While man sleeps, the Lord neither sleeps nor slumbers. The effective work of the Holy Spirit is not bound by human efforts. Indeed, the Spirt softens the heart, so when the word of God is sown, it grows.

Love does not give up on those it loves. When it is hurt, it forgives. When it is rejected, it accepts. When it is misunderstood, it is kind. When it is ignored, it serves. When it is unloved, it loves.

It is time to go when God says so, even though you are not sure where you are going. Abraham was a “friend of God” (James 2:23 nasb) who trusted the heart of God. He was secure in his faith, knowing his heavenly Father would not lead him astray. Are you okay with only the call of Christ as your next step? Is He calling you out of your comfort zone to a new level of faith and obedience? It is here that you hear Him quite clearly.

Risk, many times, precedes reward, and reward may follow risk. War is risky because you endanger life and limb. The stakes are high. However, the rewards of war are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The victor enjoys the spoils of war, while those humiliated in defeat suffer loss.

Love and pride cannot coexist, they are mutually exclusive in their motives. Pride is concerned first about getting its own way, while love looks out first for the needs of another. Love is not proud and loves the proud, but pride perceives those who live by love as weak and easily overcome. Love walks in humble dependence on the Lord, while pride walks in arrogant dependence on self. The flesh makes fools out of pride, but the wise rise out of humble love.

Patience is a natural expression of love, as people who are loved are shown patience. However, some relationships are harder to patiently love. An unprovoked patience requires a small capacity for love, but a provoked patience requires a greater grace.

Those who are comfortable in their own skin are content in how the Lord has made them. However, those who strive to be someone they’re not end up frustrated, failing to enjoy authentic living. Saul desired to honor David by giving him his armor that worked well in past battles, but what Saul found effective was not the best plan for David. Yes, wise followers of Christ focus on what aligns with the unique. Therefore, those who know themselves can be themselves.

The worst kind of rejection may be the rejection of a friend. You expect it from an enemy, but not from a friend. It doesn’t make sense that someone you communed with around Christ would come back and crush you with rejection.

God seeks out men and women who are sensitive to His heart. Saul motivated by pride and fear did not keep the Lord’s command, so God appointed David as the next King. A leader risks losing the Lord’s respect when he disrespects the Lord’s commands.

Jesus expects His followers to see greater things than they have already experienced. The life of Christ is full of greater graces that come with bolder faith and surrender to the Spirit’s control. Greater things could be children who surpass their parents by influencing the globe with the gospel.

Christ in Christmas is like memorial in Memorial Day, mother in Mother’s Day, father in Father’s Day, labor in Labor Day, independence in Independence Day, and thanksgiving in Thanksgiving Day. However, in our attempt to not offend other religions and to become politically correct, we have diluted and desecrated the true meaning of Christmas.

Life is normally lived waiting. We wait in lines; a teenager waits for his or her next birthday; we wait for job promotions; we wait for news from the doctor; we wait for the next meal; we wait for our future spouse; we wait for a lawsuit to be settled; we wait for a meeting to conclude; we wait for those who have yet to keep their commitment.

He is “our God” in the sense that He owns us. We do not own the Almighty. Our actions sometimes dictate to God. We make decisions and then ask Him to bless our mess. Or we don’t make decisions and we ask Him to bless our irresponsibility. Either way, we sometimes try to manage our Master. This is not healthy. It doesn’t work. Our role is not to change God and others so our lives will be better. Our role is to surrender to our Savior Jesus, asking Him to change us.

Self-control is the temperate fruit that blossoms on the vine of the Spirit. It uses the gasoline of grace to govern the engine of a disciple’s activity. Proper self-control is Spirit control, since the flesh can be determined and disciplined without the horsepower of the Holy Spirit. Spirit-led self-control bows to no ego—it only surrenders to Christ. It is free from the desires and whims of the flesh. The body is a good servant, but a poor master.

Sorrow is the fruit of sin in a fallen world; it has the liberty to inflict pain. No one is immune from sorrow. Sorrow is created by sin, death, divorce, selfishness, poverty, rejection, loss, and fear. Sorrow is all around, circling its prey like vultures around a carcass, ready to pick away at the meat of your soul.

We all have a limited amount of time and energy. Wisdom says to spend them both on productive people, not destructive ones. Verbal sparring with a proud person only invites insult. It is better to ignore their venomous venting than try to reason with them. Do your best, stay focused on the task, and trust your reputation with the giver of reputations—your Savior Jesus.

God’s favor is the fruit of friends who find wisdom. They seek wisdom by first watching at the doors of heaven, waiting patiently at the feet of their Savior Jesus. It is humbling to think each day Almighty God is available to commission our cause for Christ. The wisdom of Jesus is what we pursue, because His is pure and profound.

Am I an affectionate father? Like the geyser “Old Faithful,” do I spontaneously spew out love and affection on my children? Am I faithful to fill my daughter or son’s emotional tank with a warm embrace or a kiss on the head? Or, am I so caught up in my own career and needs that I have no emotional capacity to show affection? Affection must be displayed.

Jesus deserves my undivided attention, yet I struggle with distractions. My mind is drawn to musing over pressing issues at work that never seem to go away. My heart engages in emotional cares for others in crisis that I am unable to control. My eyes look ahead in worry or behind in regret.