Today: Humble Submission

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist
the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on
the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matthew 5:38-39

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place.

For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
Matthew 26:52

There’s a time where calm comes into our lives as men.

A time when we finally submit to God’s authority and
His plan. We begin to realize that we are no longer
the self-made man the world tells us we are, but instead
that the Lord has crafted and gifted everything that we have
and that we are.

Giving up your strength to God, relying only on His wisdom

and power. It’s a humbling thing, but it’s the greatest gift we
could ever possibly give him. So we do it with praise, we do it
while we worship. While we’re happy and while we’re ticked
off to no end, we give it up to Him, and it makes everything ok.

Today: At Work.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as
for the Lord and not for men.
Colossians 3:23

But seek first the kingdom of God

and his righteousness, and all these
things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33

Who are you working for? Seriously, who?

Are you working for the “team leaders” at work?
Are you working for your clients/customers?
Are you working for your co-workers?
Are you working for your wife?
Are you working for your kids?
Who are you performing today’s work in honor of?

There’s only one answer: The Lord.

Our work should go to God. Our frustrations,

sweat, tears, victories and losses are all for God.
Don’t work today for your family at home, work for
God. You don’t provide for them, He does.
Honor him in your work today, keeping Him at
the forefront of your mind at all times.

Work in God’s name, and see what works He begins to do in you.

Today: Peace.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do
not lean on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will
make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

For I consider that the sufferings of this

present time are not worth comparing with
the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18

However today goes, however the week ends,

accept the gift of calm that comes with it. It may
end great, or it may end terribly, but either way
it was predetermined. And He still loves you.
 
He loves you enough to teach you. Loves you enough
to continue standing in the storm with you. Loves you
enough to calm the storm when you’ve finally come
to trust Him. Loves you enough to surround you with
people who love you too.
 
Today is Friday, and it is going to be a good day,
regardless of how it turns out in the worldly sense.

Today: The Fighter.

And after you have suffered a little while, the
God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal
glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm,
strengthen, and establish you.
1 Peter 5:10

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of
various kinds, for you know that the testing of your
faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness
have its full effect, that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

The fight. Every fighter has his strong points and his

weak points. The moves he’s known for and the places
where the blows do the most damage. So as a man fighting
through this broken world, what keeps us going? Trial
after trial we have to keep fighting, at times wondering
what God’s doing with all of this..

It’s the spiritual equivalent of being bloodied on the floor
screaming “is that all you’ve got?!”. The only difference is
we’re talking to God, so it should sound more like “I trust you
Lord, and I’m ready to be tested more.”

This is what he wants you to learn from. This moment, this season,

this particular frustration, this pile that seems to get bigger
and bigger… This is for you. Embrace it as that. Get into
scripture today. Even if only for two minutes. Set some
time aside for God today and see how he thanks you.

Today: This is good.

Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean the innermost parts.
Proverbs 20:30

For I know the plans I have for you, declares

the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

This is a good thing! It’s hard to say it when

we think things couldn’t possibly get any worse.
You can’t quite get that bolt to fit into its hole,
the food got burned, you finish the work on the car
and realize you’ve got a left-over plug that you’re not
sure where it goes, the job is stressful, it’s starting to rain,
you’re out of gas, and it’s so hot outside.

These are good things!

It sounds like a completely insane thing to say, but

THESE ARE GOOD THINGS! God has given all of us hurdles,
obstacles, and challenges to overcome because He knows
they will help us grow and learn. Sometimes we get frustrated
by them, other times we breeze through them without any problems.

Find the peace that comes with accepting the absolutely

crazy idea that these are good things. Be comforted in looking back
at age 90 and being able to say “I wouldn’t change a single thing”.

These are good things. Today will be a good day.

Today: Transparent

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each
one of you speak the truth with his neighbor,
for we are members one of another.
Ephesians 4:25

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his
appearance or on the height of his stature, because
I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man
sees: man looks on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

We can’t hide anything. As men we’d like to think we’re

Actually really good at hiding things. That crack in the
drywall, that ding in the car door (just buff it out), we hide
while we hunt, and we hide the imperfections in our lives.
But we also hide the darker stuff.

We hide our sins. We hide our fears. We hide our love.

God sees right through it all. We can hide behind things, but
God doesn’t see our outer, over-confident selves, he sees
the broken pieces inside. Come to a place of surrender, giving
Him those pieces, and forget about trying to convince him
otherwise. It’ll never work. He loves you too much.

Today: Overboard.

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless

you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.
John 8:24

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those

who draw near to God through him, since he always
lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25

When all of the bad continues to pile up, we feel like

we’re not far from a breaking point. The broken car,
the hot house, the debt, the struggle… it’s as though
you’re backing closer and closer to the edge of the ship,
and with one more thing placed on you, you fall overboard.

It’s scary. You’re underwater, now feeling completely

hopeless. But instantly you see Jesus’ face staring down
from the water’s surface. He jumped overboard for you.
So what do you do? Do you give up and drown? Or do you
trust FULLY in Him, and reach up for his hand? He can help
you back onboard, and help you get everything in order.

Trust Him. Even if feel like you’re about to go overboard, I

can tell you that you won’t. But if you insist on thinking that
you may end up in the water, TRUST in the fact that He’ll jump
overboard after you, one of His favorite kids.