It is vital that we are able to support one another during our lives and stand with one another. As with most things I have found, there is room to grow on both sides and losing weight is no exception. From an overweight person seeking to drop weight and making progress, here are some helpful ways to support one another.
The movie Rogue One, a prequel to the 1977 film Star Wars, tells the story of a band of heroes seeking to resist evil and ensure those who seek the domination of the galaxy do not thrive. Throughout the movie, there is a constant of hope. You see characters who had given up hope, find it renewed and the struggle of losing and gain hope is made plain. For Christians, the idea of hope is one of the three we must cling to dearly (the other two being faith and love cf 1 Corinthians 13). As we walk through the daily life of following Christ and trusting Him, hope can be one of our greatest tools and strongest allies in the process.
Luke writes with major foreshadowing of the time that would be coming. For Jesus seemingly went missing and was found on the third day. Furthermore, He was found keeping about the business of His heavenly Father and proclaiming the good news to all who would receive it. This is the same thing with His crucifixion. For Mary, this was a difficult time fearing she had not only lost her son but had lost the Son of Man. For Jesus, however, when he noticed that His community had left Him, He knew to seek solace in the house of His Heavenly Father.
It has always been a rather large temptation for me to define my worth by my achievements. For whatever reason, there has been this need to prove myself as “good enough” or fully capable to handle myself in any circumstance. While I may have tried to define my self worth as a person by my achievements, every time I earned one, the pleasure may have lasted for a while, but ultimately the crown of achievement was not able to sustain a deep internal need. For many of us, we do everything in our power to wear the crown of achievements on our head because it makes us feel special, important, and loved, but ultimately, that deeper sense of meaning and purpose cannot come from our actions.
It has always been a rather large temptation for me to define my worth by my achievements. For whatever reason, there has been this need to prove myself as “good enough” or fully capable to handle myself in any circumstance. While I may have tried to define my self worth as a person by my achievements, every time I earned one, the pleasure may have lasted for a while, but ultimately the crown of achievement was not able to sustain a deep internal need. For many of us, we do everything in our power to wear the crown of achievements on our head because it makes us feel special, important, and loved, but ultimately, that deeper sense of meaning and purpose cannot come from our actions.
With John’s Revelation, we are given a glimpse into the spiritual side of the story that God weaves throughout human history. This hotly debated book remains one of the few parts that Christians stand in eager expectation of its coming rather than a record of the past events of the faith. With its fantastical depiction of the end of days and the victory of Christ over the forces of nature, Revelation shows us that Christ already won and secured our victory. However strong this may be, we are catching up and eagerly awaiting the promised finale. Nonetheless, God is still seated on the throne. Whatever accomplishments we may earn as we await the coming of eternity, compared to the fullness of God’s victory, they will fall short.
With John’s Revelation, we are given a glimpse into the spiritual side of the story that God weaves throughout human history. This hotly debated book remains one of the few parts that Christians stand in eager expectation of its coming rather than a record of the past events of the faith. With its fantastical depiction of the end of days and the victory of Christ over the forces of nature, Revelation shows us that Christ already won and secured our victory. However strong this may be, we are catching up and eagerly awaiting the promised finale. Nonetheless, God is still seated on the throne. Whatever accomplishments we may earn as we await the coming of eternity, compared to the fullness of God’s victory, they will fall short.
Make no mistake, shepherds were dirty people. Not morally, although maybe they were, but they were often covered in dirt, sweat and grime. For the sake of protecting the flock, they would stay with the sheep, sleeping in the fields. They smelled like livestock and were not the upper class of society. If you were planning an event for the coming of the King of the Universe, more than likely, you would overlook the shepherds. Yet, it was to the lowly shepherds that the angels announced the birth of the Savior.
I will never be able to fully comprehend the pain and suffering that Christ endured on the cross. Yet that is precisely the point. I am not supposed to understand fully. Christ, taking my punishment on my behalf, took what was rightfully mine so that I would not have to carry it. After all, I don’t have the ability to do so. From His sacrifice, though, I put to death my flesh and am crucified with Christ, not to earn His love, but in response to it.
I will never be able to fully comprehend the pain and suffering that Christ endured on the cross. Yet that is precisely the point. I am not supposed to understand fully. Christ, taking my punishment on my behalf, took what was rightfully mine so that I would not have to carry it. After all, I don’t have the ability to do so. From His sacrifice, though, I put to death my flesh and am crucified with Christ, not to earn His love, but in response to it.
