Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

12/31/2019

Don’t Give Up

Tuesday Matters-December 31, 2019
Everyday Keep on Going

Often our prayers are ones where we cry about all that is wrong and we list what needs fixing. Just so you know, it’s more than OK to do this. God cares about our pain and all that happens to us. But sometimes we stop praying and give up on God because He didn’t answer the prayer like we thought – our sick friend got sicker and the marriage we prayed would stay together ended in divorce. That’s hard.

I’m sorry if that’s been the outcome for you in a prayer, but please remember this; GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU. Nothing you do or don’t will cause Him to withdraw His love and nothing is too small or too big for Him to take care of. He loves us personally. There is something redeemable in your mess and pain right now and if you can manage to get up and serve someone else who’s having a hard time, you’ll find hope. We all need a cup of it…everyday.

12/30/2019

Jesus is the Meaning of LIFE

Monday Matters-December 30, 2019
Everyday The Cross of Christ

I’m a mom of four sons and one cute husband and I’m so grateful. Recently at Easter we were all together but for our one son who is in the Navy. We went out for pancakes, French fries, and bacon and there we talked about the meaning of “The Cross.

And all of us in agreement know we are made worthy, NOT by what we do, or how we perform, and certainly not by our righteousness but we’re made worthy by God’s great mercy. The sacrifice of Jesus washes away our sins and His resurrection secures are future. We are forgiven and set free to live with no condemnation or fear. So we all said, “YES!” and received. It was great. Paul speaking to the Colossians said, “God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.” Receive this gift Jesus offers you too with the hope to live …everyday.

12/27/2019

Medication in Christianity

Friday Matters-December 27, 2019
Everyday Meds

“Lisa,” I wrote; “I know exactly where you’re at. You’re not a “bad Christian” because you went on medication for your depression. God doesn’t think that. He loves you where you’re at.”

I went on meds for anxiety. It was hard. I felt; “Maybe I wasn't reading the right scripture, praying right or maybe I didn't have enough faith. We live in a fallen world with sickness and disease. The enemy wants us to believe we’re a failure when our sickness is mental but it’s a lie. We’re sick. We need healing and stability and we limit God when we say He can only work on way. It was pride that kept me from wanting to take meds. I wanted to say; “God healed me without medication." Instead He provided a way through meds. It’s a mind battle. It helped me to hear National Speaker Chonda Pierce dealt with meds and depression. She taped a message to her prescription bottle which read; “God loves you Chonda. Take your medicine.” Don’t lose hope. You will get better…everyday.

12/26/2019

Forgive like Jesus

Thursday Matters-December 26, 2019
Everyday Offense Taken

We can say we trust in God to avenge or defend us but when we take matters into our own hands we aren’t putting a lot of trust in God taking care of our hurt. A big challenge is not to pick up the offense of a friend or family member who’s been hurt. I’m guilty there. But when we take on someone else’s offense we’re sucking the poison of their sin and we become bitter along with them.

I’ve seen this happen when a parent’s anger towards someone passes on to their children. Remember if only one side of the story is presented you don’t have the whole truth and may have a cocktail of lies. It’s the enemy’s plan to ruin relationships. God’s plan is to restore. Follow Deuteronomy 30:19 which tells us to make the choices which bring life so that we and generations to come may live meaningful lives. More is caught than taught and the way your children trust God will have a lot to do with the way you trusted God in relationship conflicts…everyday.

12/25/2019

Marriage

Wednesday Matters-December 25, 2019
Everyday Marriage Advice

The other day I read this article giving me the “Do’s and Don’ts” on how to get a grip on a marriage gone bad. Some points were good such as; “Do speak honestly of your unhappiness to your partner and don’t bad mouth your spouse to your friends” BUT the “DO” that really threw me was; “Put yourself at the center of your life, go deep within yourself to find your strength.” I said out loud, “Are you kidding me, I’d just get depressed?” But the writer continues, “Who can be the center of your life but you?”

I know the answer! JESUS! He should be the center of our lives! And when He’s not that’s when we have problems, not only in marriage but in everything. I just read some great “DO’S and DON’TS” in Philippians 2: 3 and 4; “DO regard others better than yourself and DO NOT be selfish, thinking only of yourself.” What great advice from the Counselor who has all the answers...everyday.

12/24/2019

Heaven

Tuesday Matters-December 24, 2019
Everyday Bumper Stickers

A guy and his car are standing at the pearly gates. The car is covered with Christian bumper stickers. The guy is trying to talk his way into heaven but Peter won't budge. The guy says, "But look at my car!" Peter finally compromises and says, "OK, your car can come in..."

Much of the time people don't realize what forgiveness truly means in their lives. They really believe the sin that separates them from God in the first place, is worth it. And sometimes they look at forgiveness as a license to keep on living in the flesh while expecting God to jump through hoops they’ve set up. When we have a relationship with God we get the Holy Spirit living in us and THAT is what keeps us from staying comfortable in our sins. You look at Paul talking to the Romans and he says, “I sometimes fall and do what I don’t want but with Jesus I don’t have to stay down.” We can walk and drive in freedom when we let God’s forgiveness change us…everyday.

12/23/2019

Holy Spirit Love

Monday Matters-December 23, 2019
Everyday Spirit of Love

There will always be people in our lives who are difficult. And I also fall into the category of being a difficult person too. Oh, but for the kindness, the grace of God, how could we live without Him? We must realize that the Holy Spirit according to 1 Peter 1:22 is the One Who purifies our hearts so we can allow the sincere love of God to flow through us to others.

Walking in the love of God is the ultimate goal of Christianity and should be the primary pursuit of our lives rather than trying to get even with others. Jesus came and pronounced that all other commandments are summed up by loving God and loving others. When I think of what I can do for myself or how I can get others to bless me I'm filled with ME! But when I think of other people and how I can bless THEM I find myself filled with the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of love…everyday.

12/20/2019

Acceptance

Friday Matters-December 20, 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.

12/19/2019

Feeling Hurt, Rejected

Thursday Matters-December 19, 2019
Everyday Hurt

When we’ve been hurt AND the person who has hurt us isn’t even sorry our flesh wants nothing to do with this person but to reject them. Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. But what does Jesus do?” Jesus never rejects us but He does reject our sinful behavior.

The two greatest commandments tell us to love God passionately and then to LOVE OTHERS as He does. So when someone has sinned against us, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we must actively choose to forgive them and then choose NOT to remember their sins against us. Actively choosing not to remember is different than forgetting. In Jeremiah 31:34 God says He will “remember no more” the sins of His people. This is not memory failure. This is God’s choice to no longer hold our sins against us. From 1 Corinthians 13:5 we must destroy “lists of sins” committed against us, mental or actual, written lists. God will vindicate us as He promises. I know it’s hard but do what you know is right rather than what you FEEL is fair…everyday.

12/18/2019

God Speaks

Wednesday Matters-December 18, 2019
Everyday God Shouts Love in Pain

Do you think that emotional pain is harder than physical pain? I often think it is. I mean I get physical pain from my recovery with scoliosis back surgery and having mono and flu where I never thought I’d leave the bathroom floor. However broken relationships, the loss of a loved one, and the failure of a plan or dream, well … that kind of pain is so much harder for me.

But it helps to remember God uses pain to get our attention. C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasure, but He shouts to us in our pain.” Pain is God’s megaphone. We rarely change when we see the light. We change when we feel the heat. But why does it get so hot? I hear ya. The answer is God’s love turns-up, it warms when it all seems so cold and hopeless. God always cares. Proverbs 20:30, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.” Yes, God loves you, everyday.