Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

9/30/2019

More than being Tolerant

Monday Matters-September 30, 2019
Everyday Real Tolerance

Not everyone likes us and I know that’s not a news flash. When we follow Christ and call ourselves Christians it doesn’t mean that we agree with all Christians. I have friends of diversity with different beliefs and lifestyles and some things we agree on and some things we don’t. I love people. Only people last forever and how we treat others will be the true legacy we leave behind. No matter who someone is I hope to always listen and learn while being kind. Real tolerance is treating one another with respect regardless of our different opinions or beliefs.

Honestly, I like to be challenged. But I’m not ashamed that I believe John 3:16: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.” This view doesn’t make me popular with everyone but let’s seek God’s approval, not men. Let’s give God’s grace and treat others with kindness and respect no matter who they are…everyday.

9/27/2019

Accept the REAL You

Friday Matters-September 27, 2019
Everyday Accepting Who You Are

Sometimes I get disgusted with myself. It’s when I’m in this place of self-pity and I feel stuck. The way to peace begins with accepting the truth of myself—the whole truth. My struggle to cope with certain people has a simple explanation: they represent to me precisely those things that I have refused to acknowledge and accept in myself.

To accept the truth of my brokenness is unbearable if not impossible, without turning to Jesus. If my vision of myself is not purified by the mercy and compassion of Jesus, I have to get dishonest, camouflage my warts, and present to you a self that is mostly admirable, fault free, and superficially happy. When I accept the truth of me, shipwrecked and saved, and give it over to the person of Jesus, I am at peace even if I don’t feel it. The peace that comes from God and surpasses all understanding, (Philippians 4:7) was provided by Christ on the cross and doesn’t depend on our shifting feelings …everyday.

9/26/2019

Approach God with Confidence

Thursday Matters-September 26, 2019
Everyday Backbone

I don’t sew, bake or volunteer for craft projects at school. I could feel like a lousy mom because don’t the good moms have all of those skills? But let’s try and remember that God doesn’t make mistakes and He created us uniquely and for a specific purpose. Sure we get stuck wishing we were someone else or had their skills but how productive is that? How about we try this: If you experience a setback or failure don’t fall apart but believe God will use the experience to train you for the next step. Look at Ephesians 3:12 and we read that through faith in God we can approach Him with freedom and confidence. He loves us. “Plenty of people have wishbone but there are too few with not enough backbone.”

Once we’re rooted and established in His love, we can have the backbone to step out and be the very best of who He created use to be…everyday.

9/25/2019

You DO NOT have to Earn God’s Love

Wednesday Matters-September 25, 2019
Everyday Jesus Did IT!

How do you know when you’ve given enough to get to God? You don’t. Yet many people believe that there are many roads to God and that true spirituality is just to love your neighbor and help the poor. What about the people that have been taught to hate? Are the poor just virtuous? That sounds right, but it is not what Jesus said.

Jesus said you cannot earn salvation by taking the executioner's cross yourself. We instinctively know this. If a soldier drapes his body over a grenade to save his friends, we recognize it as a sacrifice. Something we honor, but not something we can pay him back for. In fact to suggest we could pay Him back is an insult to His sacrifice. The same is true with Jesus. He loves us for who we are and not for what we do. The good things we do, like soup kitchens for the poor, are out of our love for Him but no matter what He loves right where we’re at by His grace…everyday.

9/24/2019

Suffering Brings Blessings

Tuesday Matters-September 24, 2019
Everyday Recovering Addict

As a recovering self-addict I try and focus on what God needs to change in me rather than asking Him to change everyone else and my circumstances that bother me. You see the self-involved person is always seeking a way to avoid pain whereas the God involved person embraces pain and they actually go to the Word of God to guide them through life. Instead of becoming bitter they become better.
1 Peter 5:10 really offers us hope and encouragement because it tells us that after we’ve suffered a little while, the God of all grace Who imparts all blessings and favor, Who has called us to His eternal glory will complete and make us what we ought to be. He’ll ground us securely, and strengthen, and settle us. That’s a great promise. And I want it! So ever so slowly I’m able to praise Him in the pain for I know that’s His will for me. Think about it. There are blessings and favor from Him in our trials…everyday.

9/23/2019

Your Past Doesn’t Define You

Monday Matters-September 23, 2019
Everyday Crazy Thoughts

Do you have crazy thoughts? And by that, I mean the kind of crazy negative thoughts that swirl in your mind which come from past hurts or present crazy circumstances. When I have them they seem to creep in when I’m traveling a long distance by myself. BUT I know we can choose what we think on. WE can release God’s plan for our lives by no longer thinking about the things of old and believing instead that God has a good plan for our future.

Since what we think about eventually comes out of our thoughts, we will never get our mouths straightened out unless we do something about our thoughts. We need to stop mentally living in the past and begin to think in agreement with God. Then once we do that we can begin to speak in agreement with Him. We can actually see our own future and think on truth from Isaiah 43:19; “God makes s a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. He can make a way for you and me…everyday.

9/20/2019

Be Aware-God is GREATER!

Friday Matters-September 20, 2019
Everyday Enemy Alert

There’s evil in the world but often we don’t really think it’s something we have to be mindful of in our everyday lives. Oh but we do. The Garden of Eden was a perfect paradise God created for Adam and Eve until Satan got them to doubt and distrust God. The devil is still on the move working because he knows that the only way he can overcome a believer is through deception and intimidation. In the Bible in 1 Peter we’re told to be alert because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he will devour. Notice the verse doesn’t say “irritate” or “frustrate” but “DEVOUR!”
A lion often scares up its dinner by roaring. Its prey freezes in fear simply due to fear thus becoming an easy meal for Mr. or Mrs. Lion. That is what we face. God is the king. The devil is an imposter. We have the power from God to tell him to get out of our face…everyday.

9/19/2019

Strong Willed

Thursday Matters-September 19, 2019
Everyday Strong Will

I have a strong will. I’m sure someone listening right now can totally relate to the fact that while our spirits may be strong and willing our flesh fails us time and time again. Jesus tells us we do not "watch and pray". The flesh does not conquer the spirit. The flesh is weak - as Jesus said - and the flesh is a stumbling block to our spirit. I want to go to church on Sunday mornings but I’m tired so my flesh gets its way and later I have regrets. I have to pray and set my mind and will the night before to get up in the morning. My prayer is often this simple, “God You’re stronger and You live in me. Help. Amen.” Sharing areas of weaknesses, with someone, also helps for accountability and strength too. You can overcome. Jesus is there. He’s never mad at you and when you do fall He will help you get back up. He loves you and He’ll never give up on you. Don’t give up on yourself…everyday.

9/19/2019

Jesus loves you for who you are

Wednesday Matters-September 18, 2019
Everyday I am Debbie

I am Debbie with a slight curve of scoliosis made less noticeable with the surgery I had as an adult. I am Debbie who needs to look everyday in the mirror and wonder what else I can do to my hair that will change my life. I don’t want to care about it so much and there are times I don’t and I walk out in my pajamas to get groceries or record my radio feature at the station. Everyday, I have to remember the way He sees me despite my moral failings and missteps and bad hair days.

In life’s journey we all want to be known and loved and Jesus knows us better than anyone and still loves us. He knows me, my pain. HE IS here, waiting to make creative, redemptive use of what has happened. He is always on the move. He isn’t wasting time thinking about all the trouble He has with us or how awful we feel about where we are with ourselves and our troubles. God loves us unconditionally…everyday.

9/17/2019

Jesus did it ALL

Tuesday Matters-September 17, 2019
Everyday WWJD

I love people. People also make me crazy and more so the ones that I love who’ve hurt me. My problem is that I often carry the offense around and don’t let it go. Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. People are hard. Life is hard. I hear all the time “What would Jesus do?” but really the question should be: “What DID Jesus do? He loves and forgives and that means right now…currently in session. And Jesus then asks us to forgive others as He does.

ONLY God power, Holy Spirit power can set us free. We need to ask these questions, “Is it enough for God to know our pain, for God to know our disappointment, our frustration? Can we hand our offense entirely over to Him and move forward treating others better than they treat us? What if it means only God knows our hurt and nobody else?” I am not there…yet. But that’s how real God has to become to us. You’re not alone. I could sit with you for hours and discuss the pain but let’s pray: “God set us free with Your love to forgive others completely. Amen…everyday.”