Jesus understands

As we go through our lives we experience many ups and downs. Life can be hard and it is not always a walk in the park. At times we might often feel that no one understands what we are going through, or that we are all alone fighting our battles. I can promise you, however, that that is not the case! During our sermon on Sunday morning I was encouraged as our pastor preached from Hebrews 2: 5-18. It was a timely reminder for me, that when we suffer, Jesus understands. He has been through it all and He is there to comfort and support us as we travel through those valleys, and as we suffer loss and disappointment. We should look to the help that Jesus gives and seek Him in times of need! It is my prayer, that this will be a source of encouragement to you too as you journey through life, knowing that Jesus understands and empathises with you, as He has been there too.

I can reach out to Jesus through the hard times of not having a partner/spouse, because He too understands what it’s like to not be married

I can reach out to Jesus in times of loneliness, because He suffered loneliness as well

I can reach out to Jesus in times of rejection and closed doors, because He knows what rejection feels like

I can reach out to Jesus with the pain of not being a mother, because He did not have children of his own either

I can reach out to Jesus when I face temptation, because He knows what that’s like

Next time you suffer losses or disappointments, hard times or rejection, closed doors or loneliness, I encourage you to look to Jesus for your support. He knows what it’s like to experience these things and He can encourage you. He will never leave you nor forsake you and He is always there.

I will leave you with a quote by C.S Lewis, which has been a huge source of encouragement to me.

"He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God alone".  

Until next time,

Em xx

Reflections on Psalm 119

Over the month of March, our church was encouraged to read through and meditate on Psalm 119. We spent each week day reading one section, and by the end of the month we had read the whole psalm. Through reading and meditating on this psalm, my love for the word of God increased, as well as my passion and praise for it! God’s Word gives life and light, it provides wisdom, it is the truth, it is inspired and breathed out by God and it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Over the course of the month I turned some of the passages of scripture into a personal prayer for myself. If you haven’t read this Psalm for awhile I encourage and challenge you to read it, and perhaps you could find nuggets of gold in the passages that you could turn into a personal prayer too.

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Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Give me life according to your word.
Give me understanding that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Turn my eyes from looking at at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
Turn my feet to your testimonies and teach me your statutes! 
I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually!
I am your servant, give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!
Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
Redeem me from man's oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. 

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I want to continue to invest and delight in God’s word and I have made some changes in my weekly routine to help me to achieve this.

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
You are my hiding place and my shield, I hope in your word. 

Until next time,

Em xx

Valentine’s Day…

A significant day in the lives of many, but what about for those who don’t have a significant other in their lives? For some, it’s a day of incredible kindness, sweetness and gratitude. For others, it’s a day in which loneliness and emptiness are magnified. For some it stirs up longings that can’t be filled – yet.

Valentine’s Day is sometimes not an easy or light thing to face as a single person. Cultural pressures to find our worth, identity and security in a romantic relationship often only exacerbate the inner struggle… but for single Christians, we have a greater love than any human in this world can provide. We can combat our disappointment and loneliness by turning to the only one who can fulfil us: Jesus Christ. He is the only source of happiness which will never disappoint us. He will give us contentment, fulfilment and hope – even on Valentine’s Day. A woman is not worth more because she has a guy by her side. God defines us as a beloved daughter for whom a great price has been paid in the sacrifice of Christ.

We may feel like we need a boyfriend or girlfriend. We may feel like we need the companionship and intimacy only a spouse can provide. These are legitimate longings. But even if God does not satisfy these desires right now, He does promise His comfort and support during the pain of waiting. Leaning on His strength, we can carry on, and we can do more than that! We can live full, satisfied, truly joyful lives! He assures us that we are never alone.

On Valentine’s Day we need to commit ourselves to seek the love that truly satisfies. This is the love that loves us unconditionally, the love that fully satisfies every aspect of our souls, and the love that is eternally guaranteed and can never be lost. No human being is capable of providing such love. It is found only in the omnipotent God who invites us into an eternal relationship with Him through the gospel. God’s love is unearned, unfettered, and unending. Rejoice that the Lord of creation has delighted to set His affection on you! See your loneliness as a reminder to search for satisfaction in Christ. Use your sadness to dwell on His sacrifice, purchase, and love for you. Seize Valentine’s Day to pursue Him.

Until next time,

Em xx

Adventures and learnings over the summer holidays of 2021 <3

Over these summer holidays my goals were to use my time wisely, invest in the life of others, and rest after experiencing a year like no other! I am pleased to say that as the holidays come to an end I can tick this goal off and say that I have been successful, through Christ’s help and strength.

Throughout this post I will share some of the adventures I got up to, how I invested my time, and some of the learnings I discovered.

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At the end of Dec/beginning of Jan I housesat for two different families. I love housesitting, especially when there are animals involved! It was a great chance to relax, catch up on some much needed sleep, help friends out and enjoy new surroundings.

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I went for lots of walks and enjoyed our beautiful country’s landscape. I explored and conquered an old favourite multiple times: “Camp Sladdin” in Clevedon, trekked through the Auckland Botanical Gardens and Totara Park, wandered through Cornwall Park, and even made it to a walk that I have been wanting to do for quite awhile: Mercer Bay Loop Walk in Piha. The stunning weather made each walk totally worthwhile!

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Investing in the lives of others was time well spent these holidays. I got to explore new places and spend time with others. I’m super grateful for friends and “ironing sharpening iron”.

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I also read some incredibly inspiring and eye opening books over the holiday break! Investing in good Christian books to read to both encourage me and challenge me in my faith over the holidays was something I wanted to do. Investing time in God’s word each day was something that I ensured I did. It made a huge difference to my life and as a result I have grown closer to Christ and continue to learn more and more about my Saviour. Here are some findings that I discovered from some of these books….

• God, I do not have to understand, I will just trust you
• God’s ultimate plan is as far beyond our imaginings as the oak tree is from the acorn’s imaginings
• God’s love is like an ocean because we can see its beginning but not its end
• My eternal hope enables me to endure some of the disappointments in this temporal life
• Prayer is not a side dish for followers of Jesus. It’s the oven!
• God is working every pain, loss or disappointment, every inch, in every way for my good
• God does not guarantee any human experience for His children – not physical health, not marriage, not success at work, not children. And that’s because He is utterly, relentlessly committed to giving His precious children what’s best for them, when it’s best for them, and only if it’s best for them. Never otherwise. No matter how good the gift seems to be, or how much we want it, or how long we have waited, God will not abandon the greater good He has promised us (2 Cor 12:7-10)
• We convince ourselves that we know better, that we can choose better for ourselves than God can – the same God who came and died at infinite cost to save us. But we don’t. When we begin to feel forgotten, or to doubt God’s love for us, we distance ourselves from Him, when we should be turning to Him
• Marriage isn’t necessary for my significance on earth. It will not complete me or fill out my purpose in life
• God often withholds, or even takes away something from us in order to give us something far greater. Doing what’s best for us often requires causing us some pain or discomfort first. God’s love can be unpleasant, even excruciating in the moment, but it always steers us through every dark valley to unparalleled life and joy. It also saves us all kinds of grief and pain in the future
• If God allows us to walk through something hard or painful, He walks with us every step and waits on the other side to give us a gift that dwarfs all our suffering 

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These summer holidays have truly been a blessing where I have been able to rest, read, spend time with others, enjoy nature and grow closer to God. As they draw to an end I know that I am refreshed and ready for the teaching year ahead.

Until next time,

Em xx

Waiting and God’s withholdings

Over the past few months God has been working in my life and molding me more into the person that He wants me to become. He has taught me many lessons, but has also walked beside me through it all. Has this journey been easy?? No! Far from it! Has it been worth it?? Yes!

Whatever comes to pass has been determined by God. He is in control and knows every detail of what is happening. We only see one piece of the puzzle, while God sees the whole puzzle. When He withholds things from us He is teaching us to treasure Him above everything. When He refuses to give us the good thing we plead for, He is actually giving us something even greater: Himself and His grace toward us in Christ. The reason God may withhold something from you may be that:

• what you long for may not in fact be good for you;
• you have a different perspective of what is “good”
• God has a better good in mind for you

We have the assurance that God in His wisdom has placed us where we are. He has neither misplaced nor displaced us. He can see things that we simply cannot. God’s path, no matter how hard it may be will always lead us to glorious destinations! Every journey, every bump in the road, every struggle serves a very important purpose. God is working behind the scenes and we must trust Him even when we don’t understand. There is encouragement in our time of greatest confusion, and hope in our moment of greatest discouragement. We are held in the palm of our Heavenly Father, who rules everything! We are a child of the King of Kings and we are part of His plan!

I have learned, and am still learning, that God’s will for my life is growth in Christ likeness. For this to happen, God will withhold or take away whatever it takes to make me dependent on Him. I want the desires of my heart to be aligned with His will for my life. I surrender all to God, trusting Him to use it for my good. I have learned that “wait” is the most precious answer God can give me. It makes me cling to Him rather than cling to an outcome. God knows what I need. I do not. He sees the future. I cannot. His perspective is eternal. Mine is not. He will give me what is best for me. When it is best for me.

“Surely I would be more joyful/happy if I was in a relationship”. That lie became my belief. The enemy planted that lie in me and told me over and over again that I was nothing without someone. And I admit, I began to believe it when the days turned into months and the months turned into years. I wanted so badly to be in charge of my life. I wanted to call the shots. I wanted life to go the way I planned. But instead of getting the things I wanted, God took me on a journey of surrender to Him and showed me that He is worthy of my trust, whether or not I get the “good” things I want.

When our lives are full – full of health, full of comfort, full of everything we deem good and satisfying – it can lead to forgetting our dependence on Him. It can lead us into thinking we must have these other things to be happy, rather than living as if Christ is the only thing we must have in this life. God is not making me pay for anything and I am not being punished. God wants me to surrender my heart and my future to Him and wait on His timing. Surrender does not mean I give up. It means I give over to God. I love this quote by C.S Lewis – “I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait”.

You may not see how it is working for good until you are in God’s presence when this life is over. But whether He reveals to you what He sees behind the scenes or not, He has called us to trust Him and believe His word! When God declines even our most genuine prayers, we must trust that “My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9. His wise plan may decline our pleas. Unanswered prayer can be confusing for us, but not for Him. He knows what we don’t and sees what we don’t. And on the Last Day, when we know what He knows, we’ll accuse Him of nothing but being faithful.

Over the past few months I have been drawn closer to God and He has taught me to desire His will above my own, even if I don’t understand it. I have a greater hunger and thirst for His Word than ever before. Through pain and struggle, God does work things out for my good. He is there guiding me, shaping me, molding me, and calling me into a deeper relationship with Himself. God is doing something in my waiting. He is showing Himself to be better than a partner, better than children. He is the gift within the gift of lack. Marriage is a blessing, but it is not better than faithfulness, and it is not better than the King of glory.

Letting go of the plan I had for my life was one of the hardest things I had to do. We don’t have to have our lives figured out. We just have to trust in the One who created the perfect plan for our lives. When we truly believe that His plans are greater than our plans, and seek His plans instead of our own, that is when we truly let go, and when we truly trust in the Lord’s plan for our life.

I pray that this post has been an encouragement to you in whatever you are waiting for. God has the best plan in mind for your life and you only need to trust Him.

Until next time,

Love Em xx

Following Christ

Today I was challenged by our sermon! Following Christ is so costly, but all the costs and all the losses — everything — is nothing compared to the gains of having Jesus, the greatest treasure. After many months of toiling and wrestling, I handed over to God a dream of mine today. There is no cost you can pay in following Jesus that won’t be made up for in the life to come!

Reminders and new learning over the past few weeks…

Over the past few weeks I have been reminded of many things/learned new things which have helped change my life for the better. Isn’t it amazing that during the trials of life our faith can grow stronger?! I have had a real hunger and thirst to learn more about God, more than ever before, and have wanted to spend a lot more time with Him. I have really delved deep into the promises He has for me. I have been encouraged over and over again and marvel at the grace of God that is at work in my life! Today’s blog post will focus on some of the things I have been reminded of and also some of the things that I have learned!

- God's grace is bigger than all our sins: past, present and future; 
thoughts, words and deeds

- Every morning: look ahead and remember God will show me steadfast love 
today. Every evening: look back and declare His faithfulness

- We do not need to know on our worst days how God will sustain 
us for a lifetime. We do not need to know even how He will sustain 
us tomorrow. We need to know, even with a mustard seed of faith, 
that He will get us through today.

- Bring God's Word to every part of my heart - my will, my mind and 
my motives. I want to surrender to God's Word all that makes me me, 
so that I can live for Him.

- God's love is better than life, it's better than the choicest foods. 
If the Holy Spirit asked you, would you be able to give up something 
for the rest of your life, so you would be closer to Him, 
what would your answer be?

- There are good gifts from the Lord, but when they master me 
it is no longer a good gift. We find joy and fullness in Jesus Christ when 
we set aside any other substitute that we might run to. 

- When things happen in our life and we think "this isn't fair", 
our perspective is so limited! For as difficult as it may be, 
stay the course because God is faithful.

- Lies that we believe:
 Guilt: I owe you; 
Anger: You owe me;
Greed: I owe me;
Jealousy: God owes me

- God is working behind the scenes and I must trust Him 
even when I don't understand. 

- God has a purpose in our pain. 
He can use our weakness to make us dependent on Him, 
showing us His love and care with each passing minute of the day. 
He can use our weariness to push us to lean on Him as the all-sufficient, 
all-wise, and all-powerful God, and to know that when we are weak with pain, 
then we are strong in Him. 

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I trust that these thoughts have been an encouragement to you as well =)

Em xx

Yet Not I, But Through Christ In Me

I’m not sure if you have heard the song “Yet not I, but through Christ in me” by CityAlight before, but it is a song that has personally been a huge source of encouragement. The lyrics are deeply rooted in Scripture and there is a flood of Bible verses referred to throughout the song. The video above is of the song, and it is sung and accompanied by two talented musicians from my church. Have a listen to the powerful lyrics. CityAlight, you have done a great job!

Verse 1

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace. 

Jesus is the gift of undeserved favour and He is the greatest gift the Father could offer us. God is the source of joy, righteousness, freedom, love and internal peace.

Chorus 1

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh, how strange and divine, I can sing: All is mine!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

It’s only in Jesus through whom we may be saved and by which we have access to the Father. Our entire life is centred on Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives within us through the Holy Spirit.

Verse 2

The night is dark, but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed

God’s light conquers darkness and He does not leave, nor forsake those who are His. God’s strength is made perfect in our weaknesses, just in the same way as Paul, who manifested the power of God in weakness.

Chorus 2

To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley, He will lead
Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

Jesus, the good shepherd, is our defence and He leads us through trials and tribulations where He comforts us. God helps us overcome, it is not us in our own strength.

Verse 3

No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave

Jesus paid the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross, and we can receive forgiveness. We no longer have to have the guilt of sin over us. The price of sin has been paid! Jesus rose from the dead, conquered death and gave us hope of eternal life.

Chorus 3

To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh, the chains are released, I can sing: I am free!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

Our sin has been nailed to the cross and our entire life is centred on Christ. The yoke of slavery to sin has been cut off, not by anything we have done, but by Christ.

Verse 4

With every breath, I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne

We want our life centred around Christ. Our final destination is Heaven, where God will reign. God changes our desires and sustains us until physical death.

Chorus 4

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

All glory to Christ! When we die, we will continue to praise God! Everything is done with Christ’s help, nothing is done in our own strength!

I trust that this song has been a true source of encouragement to you as well. Please let me know of any other songs that have powerful and Scripture based lyrics. I would love to have a listen!

Em xx

Podcasts and Apps…

Today I thought I’d share two podcasts that I enjoy listening to and one app that has been really encouraging for me.

1. “Good Enough” Podcast – hosted by Andrea Burke and Lore Ferguson Wilbert

“Influencers aplenty, memes a dime a dozen, self-help books lining the shelves of bookstores, and YouTube tutorials for every tip under the sun and it’s still never enough. Why do the messages like “You’re the hero of your story” and “Trust yourself” still lead to anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and despair for most women?” We know in Christ we truly are good enough for this never enough world.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-enough/id1460719991

I thoroughly enjoy listening to this podcast and always get something out of each episode. I find the hosts easy to listen to, and the topics discussed relevant in this day and age. This year “Good Enough” began its second season, showing how popular it is for its listeners. Some of the topics which have been discussed are: Singleness, Social Media, Parenting, Friendships with guys and girls, Dating, Work and Vocation, Anxiety, Depression, and Mental Illness, Women in the church, Purity Culture and Diet Culture, just to name a few. A guest is invited along for each podcast episode where these big issues are discussed, and most importantly, the Bible is looked at to see what it has to say to these issues too. I recommend you have a listen and see if you are encouraged as much as I am!

2. “Salt – Conversations with Jenny” Podcast – hosted by Jenny Salt

“This podcast takes you deeper into the lives of ‘ordinary’ people with heart warming, sometimes challenging and always distinctive gospel stories.“

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/salt-conversations-with-jenny/id1459211688

Jenny is the Dean of Students at Sydney Missionary and Bible College where her role involves both teaching and pastoral care. I had the privilege of listening to Jenny speak in Auckland last year at a women’s conference. She is an inspirational speaker, is easy to listen to, and has a real love for the Lord. When I found out that she also has a podcast I knew that I had to have a listen! The things that I really like about this podcast is that the speakers are ordinary people, and that it all relates back to the gospel and how God is present and working in each persons life. Have a listen, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

3. “YouVersion” App

Well… this app is incredible. I was told about it by a colleague at work who recommended that I download it and have a look. Let’s just say I’m glad that I did! It has the Bible in over 2,000 versions and in over 1400 languages; a verse of the day; a devotion of the day; ways to connect with friends and share the Bible; and lots and lots of different Bible and reading plans! I have been thoroughly encouraged in my walk with the Lord through this, and have learned more and more truths about who God and is and what He has done. One plan that was particularly encouraging and challenging at the same time was “The Book of James with Francis Chan”. I had read the book of James many times before, but doing this particular 12 day study on it opened my eyes to many truths that I had obviously overlooked before. I thoroughly recommend it! Check this app out for yourself, have a look through the many plans it offers, or even just check out the daily devotion each day. You will be encouraged 🙂

I trust that this post has been an encouragement to many of you. I pray that if you do decide to have a listen to these podcasts or download this app you will be drawn closer to the Lord and your relationship with Him will deepen. If you have any podcasts or apps that have encouraged you that you would recommend please do pass them on 🙂

Em xx

Thoughts on the book “Respectable Sins” by Jerry Bridges

“Read this book – we need to – and be ready for a gentle surgeon’s sharp knife”.

J. I. Packer

Over the past few months we have been studying this book in our small group Bible Study. It has been challenging and convicting, but also full of hope! Through this post I will share my own thoughts, with the help of the author, and also share what I’ve learned so far from this inspirational book.

This book is all about sin – not the obvious sins of our culture, but the subtle sins of believers. We often become so preoccupied with the major sins of society that we have lost sight of the need to deal with our own more “subtle” sins. This book seeks to address those “respectable” sins, however, we are never to remain hopeless in our sins. Rather, we are to believe the gospel through which God has dealt with both the guilt of our sin and its dominion over us. The gospel is a vital gift from God not only for our salvation, but also to enable us to deal with the ongoing activity of sin in our lives. We need the gospel everyday!

We know that nearly every waking hour, we sin in thought, word, or deed. Even our best deeds are stained with impure motives. As Christians, we are called to live a life that is set apart for God. God has not given us the authority to establish values for different sins – the truth is, all sin is serious because all sin is a breaking of God’s law. The “minor” sins we tolerate in our lives deserve the curse of God. They deceive us into thinking that they are not so bad and we often live in denial of our “respectable” sins. Our sin, however, is an assault on the majesty and sovereign rule of God – Bridges calls it comic treason. When we sin we are both despising God’s law and despising God Himself. We often sin because the promises of pleasure cause temporary blindness and are stronger at that moment than our desire to please God.

“I am a great sinner, but I have a great Saviour”

John Newton

All is not hopeless though!! The remedy for our sin, whether “major” or “minor”, is the gospel! The gospel is the entire work of Christ in His life, death and resurrection, and His present work in us through His Holy Spirit. The gospel saves us from both the penalty of sin and from its dominion or reigning power in our lives. It plows the ground of our hearts, so that we can see our sin, and prepare us to face it. Facing our sin causes us to feel guilty, but God does not count our guilt against us. We have the assurance that our sin is forgiven, which allows us to acknowledge it and then begin to deal with it. God does not count our sins against us as He has already charged it to Christ. We have God’s forgiveness through the blood of Christ. Not only do we have this, but God has also credited the perfect righteousness of Christ to us as well – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. The assurance that God no longer counts our sin against us assures us that God is for us, not against us, and it produces a sense of gratitude for what He has done and is doing for us through Christ. We can face our “respectable” sins only when we know they are forgiven.

“I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins”

Isaiah 43:25

As we seek to deal with our “respectable” sins, we are not alone. The Holy Spirit is at work in us transforming us more and more into the likeness of Christ. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin and enables us and empowers us to deal with our sin. The Holy Spirit also brings circumstances into our lives that are designed to cause us to grow spiritually. Our spiritual life will not grow apart from circumstances that challenge us, and God is in sovereign control of all of this. He uses every circumstance and every event in our lives, often in some mysterious way, to change us more into the likeness of Christ.

For the rest of this post and for subsequent posts to come I will focus on the different “respectable sins” and what I’ve learned from them.

“Ungodliness”

Jerry Bridges says that this sin is the root cause of our other sins. Ungodliness does not refer to wickedness, but rather an attitude toward God. It can be defined as living one’s life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of one’s dependence on God. Whatever we do, do all to the glory of God – (1 Corinthians 10:31). Everything we do is to be done to the glory of God. All that we do should be pleasing to God and should honour God before others. I have started praying each morning asking that the Holy Spirit will direct my thoughts, words and actions in the day ahead so that they will be pleasing to God. God should be the centre point of our life. Think about how different our lives could be if we lived every day in the awareness that all we are, all we have, and all we accomplish is by the grace of God. The reason we sin is that we don’t think of living every moment of our lives in the presence of an all seeing, all hearing God. We are responsible to Him and dependent on Him.

“Unthankfulness”

Our whole lives should be lives of continual thanksgiving because of what God has done for us in Christ. Every breath we draw is a gift from God and everything we are and everything we have is a gift from Him. Taking for granted all the provisions and spiritual blessings God has bestowed on us, and failing to give thanks is one of the “respectable” sins. One thing that has particularly challenged me is to give thanks in ALL circumstances. Are we to give God thanks when the circumstances do not turn out as we had hoped for? Yes! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” God intends all our circumstances, both good and bad, to grow us more and more into the likeness of Jesus. So in situations that do not turn out as we had hoped, we are to give God thanks that He will use the situation in some way to develop our Christian character. As we are in the midst of the difficult circumstance, nothing, including the situation we are in, can seperate us from the love of God. We must cling to these promises by faith.

It is my prayer that what I have shared from the book so far has challenged you, and helped you see what “respectable” sins you are allowing in your life. I pray that you will be convicted, but also assured that these sins are forgiven, and that you can take steps and put measures in place, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to combat these “respectable” sins.