Rejoice and live well

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”

Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (ESV)

Our thought for today: “Rejoice and live well”

As people of faith, we should live with joy and optimism. Our sins have been forgiven and we have the promise of eternity in heaven. The future could hardly look better than that! But there’s more. Not only is Jesus our Savior, but He is also our Lord. As His disciples not only will we spend eternity with Him in heaven, but we are to live for Him now on earth – and we don’t have to do it in our own power or with our own wisdom. The Holy Spirit of God lives in the hearts of the people of God to enable us and empower us to live in ways that honor God.

And it gets even better than that. As He lives in our hearts and takes control of our lives the Spirit develops His fruit in our hearts. The Apostle Paul referred to it in Galatians 5:22-23 as “the fruit of the Spirit”: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Those are attributes of Jesus that increasingly come to define us as well. You experience that fruit for yourself internally deep in your heart, but you also demonstrate those attributes in your actions as you interact with the world around you.

As a follower of Christ, as you move through the world you are experiencing within you love and joy, peace and patience, kindness and goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – but you are also spreading all of that to those around you. Think about what that means for your life. You are joyful and peaceful on the inside, and you are sharing joy and peace on the outside.

That doesn’t mean that life will be all rainbows and unicorns, lollipops and gumdrops. But it does mean that the Spirit within you is more powerful than the circumstances around you and your life is characterized by the stronger force of the Holy Spirit within you.

This is a good attitude and a healthy outlook coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit living in us and emanating out of us, and it makes for a great life. In terms of good selfcare, there is nothing more important than cultivating and nurturing a deep relationship with the living God. Rejoice in Him and live well.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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