Being an Example

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and

glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This verse teaches us that we should be a godly example to those

around us. In this post, I will talk about three reasons to be a godly example.

1. It will honor God.

Matthew 5:16: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see

your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

2. It can be a great way to start a conversation about God.

When you be a godly example and other people see it it, they might ask

you questions about it and you can use that to springboard into a

conversation about Christ.

3. It will encourage others to be an example.

If Christians who are backslidden see you be a Godly example it might

encourage them to be an example.

Do Not Fear

The Bible says that God will always be with us and that we can

overcome all fear with his help. He instructs us not to fear and tells us

that he will hold us up.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I

am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold

you up with my victorious right hand.”

- Isaiah 41:10 NLT

He also tells us that we were created not to fear and that we can talk to

him about anything.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of

power, love, and self-discipline.”

-2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

-Philippians 4:6 NLT

So remember that even when scary things are happening and you can’t

feel God, you don’t need to be afraid because he is always with you.

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be

afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.”

-Psalms 23:4 NLT

-Maddy

Spend Time With God

The other day I was at a youth conference, and while I’ve unfortunately forgotten most of what the speakers talked about (should’ve taken notes), I do remember quite clearly a couple of things God pointed out to me. One of those is a really encouraging word that I believe applies to everybody, so I’m going to share it here.

Basically, I was talking with Him about wanting to be in constant communication with Him, and to always be aware of His presence, and I, while not exactly consciously, had this sort of background thought or feeling that went, “what if that gets boring? Will I just be doing the same thing with God over and over?” And then God was like, “No, Ransom! Every encounter with Me is and will be special, and I will always have something new for you, and our time together will never be ordinary!”

Yes, you do want your time with God to be routine in the sense that you choose to do so regularly and all the time, but He wants you to know that every encounter with Him, however everyday it might seem, is unique, and special, and He has something awesome to share with you, every time.

Go talk to God about this! Look up some scripture about spending time with and talking to God! I hope this is encouraging to you!