The world‘s way to become great is often to fight, stab, and claw our way into greatness at the expense of others. But in the kingdom of God, the path to greatness is just the opposite.

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
- Luke 22:24-26

The Lord made it clear that the path to greatness is through humble service. In other words, you cannot measure a person‘s greatness by how many people serve them, but rather by how many people they serve. And this greatness in the sight of God is not for this life only, but it is a greatness that will last for all eternity. It is not bad to want to be great, but it must not be pursued through pride and selfish ambition. Let us seek to be great for the glory of God.

We will never reach the point of sinless perfection in this life, and even as Christians, sometimes we will fail and fall. What we do after we fall is of utmost importance.

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
- Micah 7:8

Our enemy, the devil, wants us to sink in discouragement when we fall, but we must be committed to get back up by the grace of God. Even when we have failed miserably and all is dark, the Lord will be our light. We must confess our sin to the Lord and trust Him for grace to restore us and keep us going. We should do all we can to keep from failing and falling. But when it happens, we must always determine to rise again, humbler, wiser, and stronger in the Lord. And all the while, be on the lookout to help others who have fallen.

Christians can be assured that we will never face the punishment for our sins because Christ bore that for us on the cross. But we will experience the chastening of God in this life.

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. - 1 Corinthians 11:31-32

God has promised us who have received Christ as Savior that we will not be condemned because Christ has already paid for our sins on the cross. But He does chasten us because of His love for us (Hebrews 12:6). For as a concerned Father, He cares about how His children live. This divine discipline is given to get us to change our behavior and attitudes. It is the process of a Father training His children to live righteously in this life, to grow strong, and to be witnesses to a perishing world. Despise not the Lord’s chastening, but rather welcome it as an assurance of His great love.

We have many responsibilities in the Christian life, but we must always remember that the essence of the Christian life is not rules, but rather our relationship with the Lord.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
 - Micah 6:8

All that God requires of us is only truly possible as we walk humbly with Him in prayer, worship, and in His Word. Doing what is just, loving mercy, and even humility are the fruits of daily fellowship with the Lord. The Lord does not merely want our outward conformity to Bible commands; He wants our  very hearts and souls to be in communion with Him. This is the essence of what the Lord requires. This walk is moment by moment, step-by-step, and day by day, WITH HIM. Let us humbly draw near to our Lord this very day.

We have all failed many times to do what we knew the Lord wanted us to do. Praise the Lord for His patience with us and for His faithfulness to us.

And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. - Jonah 3:1-2

We know that the Lord is under no obligation to do so, but He often gives us a second chance to get things right. Whether our failure is the result of sinful stubbornness, or whether it is the result of doing our best and coming up short, we must never give up. When the Lord gives a second chance, let us do our best to get things done right. And praise God that He sometimes gives us a third, a fourth, a fifth, and many more chances! But we must never presume that they are unlimited. And with each new opportunity let us go forth wiser, more determined, and more dependent on Him.

Too often we struggle with a lack of motivation and desire for what is right. We must beware of making ever-present excuses.

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. - Luke 14:18

The people in this parable missed out on a great banquet that represents heaven because of their excuses. We will also miss out on the best things that God has for us if we follow their example. Making excuses also hinders our growth and prevents positive change in our lives. We must pray continuously for the desire and strength to fulfill our responsibilities, and to avail ourselves of the opportunities that the Lord brings to us. Let us not give excuses for our failures and shortcomings, but only strive to be better for the glory of God.

For much of the Christian life, we know what to do, but we often lack the desire and the power to do it. Our Lord is ready to help.

In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.  
- Psalm 138:2

Crying unto God is praying out of weakness and desperation. Too often, we are plagued with a fleshly self-confidence that we can handle matters on our own. That is a serious delusion. We must learn to cry out to the Lord in our weakness and brokenness, for He is a loving Father who is powerful and He is always ready to aid us in our time of need. He will give us much-needed strength in our bodies, but more than that, He will give us strength in our very souls for whatever lies ahead of us. Let us cry unto Him daily and continually.

In our relationships with others, sometimes we will give more love than we receive. At other times, we will be more heavily on the receiving end. We are only responsible for what we give.

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.  
- 2 Corinthians 12:15

The believers at Corinth were selfish and immature, but Paul kept loving them anyway. We can do this also when we are filled with and secure in God’s love for us. Our love for others must be rooted in truth and discernment, and we may sometimes need to change how we express it. This is also a description of God’s love towards all of us as shown by Christ when He laid down His life for us when we didn’t love Him at all. And remember that we have relationships where we are more often on the receiving end ourselves. Loving like this is not easy, but it is absolutely worth it.

The gift of communication is one of life‘s great privileges, but there is always room for us to improve. We must strive for clarity in our speech.

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 1 Corinthians 14:8

This is a passage teaching that speaking in a known language is better than speaking in one that people do not understand. An important application of this is that we ought to strive to be clear in our speech. We must speak only the truth, but do so with grace, patience, and love so that the hearer can receive what we are saying. This should be the case whether we are giving instruction, giving correction, or making a request. Sometimes it is a good idea to ask if we have been clearly understood. And while striving for clarity in speech, we must always be ready to listen.

It is very easy to become filled with anxiety and irritation because of life’s problems, stress in our relationships, and the abundance of our responsibilities. But the Lord gives us a helpful solution.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
- Luke 10:41-42

Martha was anxious and troubled, even as she served the Lord, and we can find ourselves in the same situation. The Lord said that one thing is needful. That one thing is to anchor our lives by sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His Word, which also includes pouring out our hearts and troubles unto Him in prayer. Part of the secret is to do the one thing daily before we engage in the many responsibilities that are placed upon us. As we do so, the Lord will lift our anxieties and He will give us His strength, His peace, His joy, and the right perspective.

We must admit that we tend to do our best praying when we are in the most trouble. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. But let it not be out of stubborn self-will.

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. - Jonah 2:1-2

THEN Jonah prayed. When was that? After three days and three nights in the belly of a great big fish. We need to grow in our relationship with the Lord to the point where we pray BEFORE the trouble comes, and in so doing, much trouble can be avoided. The best way to do this is to have scheduled time and place to pray to the Lord every day. And even then we can pray DURING the trouble for the Lord’s deliverance according to His will. Our prayers should include confession and repentance when we sin, and should always include praise.

When the Lord Jesus came to this world from heaven, He came to suffer and die for our sins. One description of Him in the Old Testament is the Man of Sorrows. We must also be reminded that He rejoiced.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. - Luke 10:21

This is the only place where the gospels tell us that Jesus rejoiced, but we know that He did many other times, because He is the source of our joy. He was rejoicing at the blessing of his disciples’ completed ministry. But more importantly, He was rejoicing because God the Father is in complete control of all things all the time. In like manner, we can rejoice because we know that in good times and in difficult times, our heavenly Father is good, and that He is always working for our good.

By nature, we are selfish and self-centered people. But the more we grow in grace and love, the more we can freely be a blessing to others.

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
- Romans 15:1-2

A baby is totally dependent on others for everything, but an adult is one who has matured to take responsibility for others. We ought to desire to grow spiritually strong, not for ourselves only, but also so that we can be a blessing to others. Pleasing our neighbor does not mean simply being people pleasers, but it refers to having a heart to serve God by using whatever strength, position, or resources that we have to benefit others who may be in some ways weaker than us. This is one of the secrets of a strong marriage, abiding friendship, and of effective ministry. And it is exactly what our Savior did. In living this way, we can be assured that our Father will care for us.

Fear and happiness are usually opposed to each other. But there is one sense in which they go hand-in-hand.

Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
- Proverbs 28:14

The fear of the Lord always results in happiness. Sometimes this may be difficult to see in the short term, but living in the fear of God always brings ultimate happiness and joy. The fear of the Lord is the companion of faith in the Lord, indicating that we trust in Him more than our own minds. And God blesses those who live to please Him rather than themselves. This fear of the Lord is reverential fear, but it is also a fear of the consequences of sin. We must not allow our hearts to become hardened towards the Lord, for sin and misery will be the sad result. But when we live continually in the fear of the Lord, happiness will be our portion.

When God created the world, everything was good. But when man sinned, the penalty that came with sin was death. And it is truly our enemy.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.  
-1 Corinthians 15:26

We need to understand that no matter who opposes us, other people are not our real enemies. We must not waste time or energy in conflict with anyone.
Death is our enemy, but it is not our worst enemy. The devil is a worse enemy, and so is sin. Death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed. Death was defeated by Christ when He rose from the grave, but it remains yet to be destroyed. For the time being, it brings separation from our loved ones, grief, and much sorrow. But the time is coming when it shall be destroyed by Christ forever!

Because of sin, we have a natural inclination to be dissatisfied in life. We must constantly be on guard against a heart of covetousness, even after we have been saved for a long time.

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
- Proverbs 27:20

Our eyes affect our hearts, often giving us a desire for things that are sinful, things that belong to someone else, or things that are not intended for us yet. To guard against a heart of greed or lust, we must guard what our eyes see every day with great diligence. We must also pause and regularly thank God for all that He has already graciously provided for us. And we must be faithful to pray for both the spiritual and material needs of others. Our only true soul satisfaction can be found in a growing relationship with the Lord, and not in any possession, person, or position in this world.

Sometimes believers can get upset or even despise those who do evil things. But Christ came to call sinners to repent and be saved.

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. - Luke 5:32

We must never forget that we are all sinners, and would be equally lost and condemned as the worst sinner who ever lived, had not Christ come to die for us all. There are none righteous in themselves. We must not be become discouraged by the evil that is around us, nor should we despise those who do evil. But we must pray for sinners to be saved and do all we can to proclaim the good news of the gospel to them. Christ came for sinners, because that is the only kind of people that there are living in this world. And we are so glad that He did!

Our God is wise enough and powerful enough to use every experience and circumstance in our lives not only for our good, but also for the good of others.

And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. - 2 Corinthians 1:6

The apostle Paul certainly understood that sometimes we have to suffer for the benefit of others. In like manner, the comfort that he received from God was to enable him to comfort others. The same is true of us. God is working for our benefit in all of our struggles, sorrows, and pain. But He is also using them for the good of others in the present or for a future day. It is very encouraging to know that at the same time He is working in all of our blessings to prepare us to bless others. Even though we usually cannot see this, we must accept it by faith and remember that everything that happens to us is not about us alone.

For all of life, we have responsibilities that we must fulfill, whether in the workplace, the church, the home, or elsewhere. And in tasks both big and small, we want our work to have meaning and significance.

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
- Psalm 90:17

The psalmist prayed for God‘s beauty and favor on his life, and for the Lord to establish the work of his hands. We all want our work to matter, and to that end, we must pray that God will establish the work of our hands. Aim for greater motivation than financial gain or promotion. Seek to do every task for the glory of God, trusting Him to make a difference in ways that only He can. This Psalm is about the brevity of life. We only have a short time here, and we need the Lord to establish the work of our hands. And long after our earthly journey ends, our work will still be making a difference.

Most of the difficulties and trials of life that break our hearts leave us with many questions that will not be answered in this life. But God will ultimately give us full understanding.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12

Mirrors in the ancient world were made of polished metal and did not give a clear reflection. This also describes our limited ability to understand God and the events of this life. But in eternity, we shall see the Lord face-to-face and also have full understanding. And the questions of life that trouble us now will either be answered or they simply will not matter anymore. We shall know fully and we shall be known. And we shall be in the presence of God and His people without sin, forever.

Because of our sinful flesh, believers are prone to wander from what we know is right even after we have been living for God for some time. There is a solution for this.

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. - Psalm 119:10

The way to keep from wandering is to seek the Lord with all of your heart continually. Seek Him in prayer. Seek Him through the pages of His Word. Seek Him through faithful worship with other believers. The more we seek the Lord, the more we will find our souls satisfied in Him alone, and that will thwart an appetite for fleshly things. But it is when we slack up that we begin to wander in our relationship with God. Let us seek the Lord daily, diligently, continually, and with great intention.

Life is likened unto gardening, for every deed is a seed, and we sow them daily.
 
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. - Hosea 10:12

When we sow seeds of righteous deeds, we reap mercy, goodness, and many more blessings from God. But too often, our hearts are hard like fallow ground, and we must be sensitive to keep on confessing and turning from sin to break up the hardness of our hearts. This means actively seeking the Lord in prayer and in His Word. When we do, the Lord will come and rain righteousness and even more blessings upon us.