Skip to main content

At the Well - Carefree Living

Gathering At the Well


The discussion At the Well centers around Carefree Living - Is It For Me? There are abundant blessings to the Christian life. It is a life filled with peace, joy and hope. But it is also a journey or a daily walk where each of us as individuals freely make our own choices. Often times we choose how far we want to follow and trust the Lord. Do we surrender all or hold some back? Giving up to Him the parts we choose to give over is easy, loving Him with all of heart, mind, soul and strength is a greater challenge. Consider these questions for today:


  • What do you do to live a more challenging life in Christ?

  • What areas in life are you tempted to take the easy way out?

  • How can you overcome those thoughts and desires?

  • What Scriptures have you found to help develop your character in your God-given role in life?

The Challenges:

The Bible defines Faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1. In a world where we like to see, experience and know things for certain, faith can be a challenge as we trust the unseen and put our hope in what we cannot touch. But we are also reminded of Abraham's faith being accounted to him as righteousness because he was "... fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." Romans 4:21 With God, nothing is impossible and He is the Solid Rock that we can put our full trust in. In our lives, the question is not is God able, but are we able to trust and believe Him. The challenge of placing our faith solely in the Lord is our own personal decision.

Taking the Easy Road:

Many times as we face obstacles, it is easier to find our own way around them. God's Word tells that with faith mountains can be moved. Matthew 21:21. As we live out the Christian life, it can be a challenge to live a life set apart. It may be easier to go along with the crowd than being different. Sometimes it is very tempting to take the easy way out and just go with the flow.

Being An Overcomer:

Living a victorious life comes with the understanding that problems, challenges and trials will come. The differential point is how we relate when these come. Romans 5:2-4 gives us a peek at the attitude that will change us and grow us into overcomers: "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." It has been said there is no pain without purpose and if we have a teachable heart, our trials, although painful, will bring out great things in us and make us stronger.


Apply God's Word:

Romans 12:10-13 covers several subjects and gives us godly instruction to continually grow in the Lord. "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality." If we keep our minds on (and apply) verses like this, we will continually be challenged, encouraged and grow in all areas of our Christian walk.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We
17 comments
Read more

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some
Post a Comment
Read more

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.
Post a Comment
Read more