Drops of Sunshine - Daily Bread

People will often use adages about karma in order to get others to make the right choice. We should be kind and gracious to others simply because it's the right thing to do. We can waste much time and energy with cruelty.

Growing up, my siblings and I, as well as others in our circle, were taught the importance of obedience. As I'm sure most children are. It didn't matter what our friends at school were doing. Our parents and other adults around us gave us instruction. Even if they weren't within view, it didn't change the rules. God's standard is similar in the sense that we should never risk his wrath in choosing to deliberately disobey his instruction.

It seems like for every on brand product on the market, there is double the off brand. If it's the original product that we want, we learn to look for the indicators that confirm that we have the real deal. This helps us avoid being tricked by what looks like truth. We can only do that in our spiritual walk if we first know the real thing.

For some people, stepping in to something new changes their perspective. It's like a new outfit you don't want to get dirty. You are more cautious and your awareness of the things around you that jeopardizes that increases. In Christ, our awareness of the things that contradict or threaten our newness should do the same.

I didn't used to care much for thinking about future goals. I would often dread the 5-year plan when advisors wanted to discuss it. Looking toward my future seemed intimidating. What if I failed? What if it took more than 5 years to achieve those goals? What if??!! What matters most is our persistence. So what if it takes more time than originally planned? Do we give up? No. That's the way our faith walk should be. It doesn't matter how a situation looks. We need to believe and trust that God is greater than our fear and keep marching forward.

When we have something positive we are looking toward, it may ignite an anxious expectation. We're almost gleeful thinking about it. That's the way we should carry ourselves as children of God. Every day, anxiously looking forward to his blessings and resting in the confidence of knowing that he will come through. That then gives us a positive reason to look back and see how we overcame by his grace.

Looking back can sometimes help us in our efforts to move forward. Afterall, history tends to repeat because many of us didn't learn from it. But for some people, the past becomes an obstacle to their future. No matter the events of the past, good or bad, they can't be changed. Focus on what lies ahead and trust that God will get you through it. The choices we make today may have an impact on our tomorrow. So rather than wallow in the things that can't be edited, shift your focus.