Let Your Life Reflect God’s Love by Ann Elaine Broughton

 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

    So are you filled with joy and peace at this moment? It is available to you. The key word here is trust. You must trust God in order to feel this peace. I believe you are what you think. It is very easy to let your negative thoughts get the upper hand in your life so that your joy and peace is squelched. You have control of what you think. Thoughts about your weight, your outward appearance, and your lack of self-esteem can only bring you to a place of defeat. Satan loves to use these thoughts to cause you to feel helpless and inadequate. You are so much more than your outward appearance. God has given you a personality and when it is under His control it can be used to glorify Him in beautiful ways. It has nothing to do with how you look, but everything to do with who you are on the inside.

   One time I was at a teacher’s seminar and a lady came up to me and asked me if I was a Christian. I said, “Yes, what made you ask me that.” She told me that she could tell by the glow in my face, my smile, and the way I talked and behaved. Wow, that was an awe inspiring moment for me. I had no idea that I had an aura of God about me. Isn’t that so wonderful? You can have it too. It is found by surrendering all you are to the Lord.

    Is your life totally surrendered to the Lord? Does His love shine from your eyes? Do the words you speak cause others to be uplifted and happy? Christ is in you and don’t you ever forget that. His power is there to overcome bad thoughts. But you must surrender all those bad thoughts in order to find the joy and peace that is awaiting those who trust in God. Please do it so that you can overflow with hope. The Holy Spirit can help you with this also. Don’t allow those bad thoughts to rule your life any longer. You are a child of the King and your inheritance lies in Heaven with Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord,

I surrender to you all the bad thoughts I have about myself. I know that your presence envelops me and that I can have that joy and peace that only you can give.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Trust God In Your Suffering by Ann Elaine Broughton

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3 NIV).

 So when was the last time you rejoiced in your sufferings. I believe it is very difficult to rejoice in sufferings. I have a friend who has been diagnosed with cancer again. She is undergoing chemo. Every time she emails me about her treatments, she is rejoicing that God has helped her get through them. Her motto is “I trust you, Jesus”. Her last email stated a challenge to all of us to observe everything through a child’s eyes. She stated that we need to be amazed at the wonders of nature and His beauty that is all around us. It is important to count your blessings also. Isn’t that so wonderful? She is a fighter and is rejoicing on how the Lord is getting her through this tough time. This is a very excellent example of trusting God and rejoicing even when you are suffering. She has been such a great witness of the Lord during this whole treatment. I admire her faith so very much.

Life comes with suffering in one form or another to all of us. It is how we handle it that builds our character. How do you handle it? Do you turn to God when you are suffering? Do you persevere through it with the Lord’s help?

I have learned that God never fails me when I call upon Him for help. He is there for you too. My friend is experiencing the kind of peace that only God can give.  He will give you the peace you need to if you call upon Him.

“The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him” (Romans 10:12 NIV). Next time you are suffering, call on the name of the Lord. He will comfort you and give you peace. Then remember to trust in Jesus no matter what.

Dear Lord,

Help me to rejoice in my suffering knowing that you will be there and give me the peace I need in the middle of my struggles. You have never failed me. Now help me to help those who are suffering also. Help me to never stop trusting in you.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

Be Careful What You Say by Ann Elaine Broughton

“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3 NIV).

    Words are very powerful. They can tear a heart into pieces and ruin lives when used carelessly. Have you been a victim of words that hurt?   Have you spoken words you wished you could take back? I am sure that none of us are perfect in this area. But as Christians it is essential to try to measure what we say wisely. Think before you speak. Is what you are about to say beneficial? Is it positive? Does it make someone feel better? Is it true? 

    We need to remember how Jesus responded to those around Him.

He never quarreled. He stated the facts calmly, even before those who sought to crucify Him. He showed patience when his own disciples didn’t understand His purpose and what He would have to suffer. He even spoke calmly to the Pharisees who were constantly trying to corner Him to catch Him doing wrong. You see Jesus showed all of us how we are to behave, and since now He is in us, we too can act and talk like Him.  Too often we don’t really consider that we have Christ in us and with that, we have at our fingertips, His ability to change lives through words spoken wisely. But, it takes self control and a willingness to daily be in communication with the Lord. Prayer is what can help us be better speakers of the truth of Christ. The Holy Spirit can help us choose words that uplift other people’s spirits instead of putting them down.

    There are people around you who need to hear words of wisdom. They need to be encouraged to do the right thing. They need to know that they are chosen by God to do wonderful works for Him. You are the one who needs to reach out and share uplifting words to those around you.

   This week, pray before you speak, think before you speak, and try to speak only words that are beneficial to those around you. Words spoken wisely and in love are precious in deed.

Dear Lord,

 Help me to choose my words wisely. Help me to be a good example of you by what I say and do. Help me to build other people up and not tear anyone down with my words. Let me always remember that words can change lives forever.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Do Good For Others by Ann Elaine Broughton

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

God has prepared good works for you to do in advance. Are you doing them? It is something to ponder. As a recipient of good works I can say that it is such a blessing. There have been times when we had little money because my husband was out of work. My Christian friends helped us out by providing us with food and money for our bills. That is what is so wonderful about being a member of a loving congregation. One time when we didn’t have any food we found steaks in our mailbox from dear Christian friends. The church helped us pay our gas bills. These people knew how to do good for others. We appreciated it so much and have since been able to help others who are in desperate need of funds or food. We are called as Christians to do good for others.

Jesus spoke about doing good for others. He said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NIV). You see when you do good for others, it is a wonderful witness for the Lord. As Christians it is essential that you do something for someone else. You will be blessed if you do. “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16 NIV).

This week make an effort to help someone in some way who really needs encouragement. It might mean sharing some of your food with them or helping them pay a bill. It might mean just praying with them. Ask God to guide you to someone and believe me He will. It is wonderful to do good for the Lord. As someone who has been on the receiving end, I praise God for all those wonderful people who gave.

Dear Lord,
I know there is someone who needs me to help them in some way. Please guide me to them and help me to encourage them in whatever manner you have chosen for me. Help me not to be so busy that I don’t have time to reach out to someone in need.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen