Matthew 8:26 - “He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”

Why are most of us so quick to judge others, instead of looking at our own faults?

Or, why do Christians blame God for things that go wrong in their lives?

Matthew 8:26 is referring to a time when the disciples, men who left their homes, families and careers to follow Jesus, started doubting Him. They saw Jesus perform miracles and healings, yet, when their life seemed to be in danger, they quickly forgot all this, and let their fear overcome their faith.

I admit, I’m not perfect. There have been times when my faith shrinks in fear.

But, I’ve found that when fear seeps into my thoughts, when the unknown scares me to death, this is when I have to intentionally re-focus my thoughts on what’s good in my life. I have to purposely change my thoughts from fear to thanksgiving.

Just as a seed grows in the ground, my faith will start to develop and thrive. And soon, faith sprouts peace and understanding.

I have seen my faith grow in leaps in bounds since I started applying this one principle: Trust God. I may not know the outcome, and it may be frightening to go through, but God loves me and is fighting for me. He always wants the best for me, and this strengthens my faith even more.

Build your faith; grow your faith. Trust God alone for your faith growth.

The above phrase was popular when I was a kid. It is meant to tell someone to improve their attitude or behavior and perform better. Some of the elementary teachers would give this warning to the unruly kids in class.

I give this analogy to those of us who are Christians, to remind ourselves that once we give our life to Christ, the former things we used to do, no longer appeal to us. We take a different direction towards our choices.

We need to review our attitude and our behavior, especially around non-Christians. It doesn’t mean we have to change our personality. Others should see a change in you, once you become a Christian.

The same mouth that was foul before conversion, gives words of encouragement and hope. Some who spent their weekends at the bars, are spending their time serving others.

We are not to act like robots. In love, we should be easier to be around. Our attitude is more positive and up beat. We should be attracting people, not by our looks, but by our behavioral change.

Befriend someone today. Get to know them. It could take some time, but it will be worth it. As they watch you and hear your story, it will have an impact on their life.

Straighten up, and act like a Christian, through your words and actions.

We only have one life here on earth. Use it to make a change in the world. Share your story and watch what happens next.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Most products or restaurants are rated by the public in the form of reviews. Five stars would be the highest for a really good restaurant.

Some websites or apps will show you if the restaurant is a 5 star or less. This is their advertisement, their marketing tool.

As Christians we should be public billboards for Christ. We should be telling others the great things Jesus is doing in our lives. Our duty as a follower of Christ is to tell your story of how Jesus saved you and is still saving today.

But, are we doing this? Are we giving Christ a 5 star rating, or do others even know that we’re a Christian?

The greatest way to show your love to someone is to tell them about the God you serve.

Those of us who faithfully serve God, feed on His word, soak up the blessings He gives, sometimes forget to share their faith to those who so desperately need it.

Give God a 5 star rating today. Advertise to the world the good news of Jesus Christ.

2 Kings 7:9 - “Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

Anyone who’s planning a vacation or trip, knows their final destination. Sometimes when you’re planning a vacation, you’ll look ahead to see what attractions or restaurants are nearby, even what the weather is forecasted to be.

You’re looking ahead. You’re not looking back on what happened on your last trip, that would be useless. The future trip is what matters.

But, so many of us, even Christians, live daily, looking back on past hurts, bitterness from a relationship gone bad, or accusations from a former friend. They’re afraid of failure, so they recluse on what they’re familiar with.

They can’t get past yesterday’s blow, to see the good ahead. If this is you, how’s that working out for you?

They’re miserable, depressed, angry and it seems that life is just not fair in their world.

Fellow Christians, this is not the life God meant for you to live. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives inside of us.

God gives each of us strength to overcome the hurts; courage to fight our battles, and love to overcome it all.

Don’t let satan steal this from you.

Live the life God planned for you from the beginning. He planned today, tomorrow and the rest of your life.

Rest in knowing that God is right now making plans for your future, and He has also forgot the sins of your past.

God gives each of us this power. Will you use it and let it empower your future?

Philippians 3:13-14 - “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Have you ever been working with wood and experience the pain from a splinter? It hurts, and if left untreated, could cause infection to the skin.

As a Christian, we follow and serve God, every second of every day. This doesn’t mean we sit in a church and are on bended knees praying all day. It means that there are laws commanded by God that we intentionally keep. If we go against the law, we are disobeying God; we are sinning. If we sin on purpose, we could be punished.

Do you remember, as a kid, being punished for something you did? It wasn’t fun, and it hurt your pride.

I heard this from a pastor yesterday, “If you go against the grain of God’s laws, you get splinters.”

Is your motive or purpose used to harm someone’s character, or to get even?

There are consequences to sin. I’ve read of it over and over again in the Bible. Read the story of Adam and Eve, Noah; the story of Joseph.

The good news is that Jesus died for every one of our sins. And, if we give our life to Him, our choices gradually change and we work towards Godliness. In other words, we sin less.

This doesn’t mean we’ll never sin again. It just means that we have an advocate, Jesus, who has already paid the price of our sin.

Live a purpose-driven life. Don’t go against God, go towards Him.

Romans 2:13 - “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”

Jesus tells us in Luke 16:10 that whoever can be trusted with very little, can be trusted with much.

The moral of these passages are: you cannot serve two masters.

You cannot love and serve God, but hold onto your money. That money you have in your bank account, stock market, or under your mattress, is not your money. God entrusts us with money. He’s the one who gave you the job to make the money. If you keep this money all to yourself or family, you’re living in direct opposition to God’s will.

Tithing to your local church is not something the religious leaders came up with. It’s a command from God, in the Bible.

When God blesses you with money or resources, or gifts, He’s waiting to see if you can be trusted with what He allows you to have.

I know it’s scary to give away money, but I can honestly tell you that when I put my trust in God with the money He gives me, and I give the first 10% of my paycheck to my local church, He has NEVER let me go without. In fact, I have been blessed beyond measure since I started consistently doing this.

Try it. Show God you can be trusted and use His blessings and gifts to give to others.

Luke 16:10 - “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

We all go through trials, every day. Some are meant to be dealt with immediately, others linger for days on end.

When a boxer goes into the ring to fight his opponent, he doesn’t slip out of the ring and sit on the bleachers to watch. He gets in the ring and fights with all the experience and physical ability he has.

The same is with Christians. We live in a fallen world; a culture of debauchery, hate crimes, suicide, the list goes on. As a Christian, we are not to sit on the sidelines and do nothing but watch. We need to be exposed to the public, showing others we love them, forgiving our worst enemy, even when we don’t feel like it.

It’s in the dark days, the times of relentless criticism that God exposes the light in our life.

Allow God to use you in the battle. Be His first lieutenant in the conflict. After all, it’s God’s battle, you’re just the willing fighter.

It has always been in my darkest days, the days that anxiety is front and center, when I have grown in my Christian walk. It’s there in the battle that my faith is extended and my greatest weapon is being used.

Stay in the battle. The battle has already been won.

Don’t sit on the sidelines and get beaten.

2 Chronicles 20:5-6 - “Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.”

Have you ever wondered why God puts certain people in your life?

The person crossing your path may seem genuine at first, only to find out they are making your life miserable. Their legitimate first impression is soured.

Don’t brush this off as another one of satan’s attacks. This may very well be the person that turns your life around. God may be using him/her to test your faith in Him.

We all play a part in life. You may think that your part is not that important, or that no one would notice if you just disappeared one day.

Friends, God’s love is so powerful that He can turn a bad situation to good in a matter of minutes.

God sees you. He knows when you’re hurt, or angry. It may go against your nature, but try asking God for guidance in the situation.

Don’t dismiss your role in this new relationship that may seem to be stressful, or interfering with your time.

God has a plan for each of us. We all have a part to play in the game of life.

As Christians, we know that people come and go through our lives, but we must accept the part and show God’s love, no matter what type of character they are.

Be a role model for Jesus. Play your part.

Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”