Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

4/16/2025

Holocaust

Wednesday Matters- April 16, 2025
Everyday Corrie ten Boom

Corrie Ten Boom along with her Sister Betsy hid a number of Jews during the Holocaust, and both were caught and sent to a Concentration Camp. Amazingly Corrie managed to smuggle in a Bible and held Bible studies in the barracks. God’s Word changed the lives it touched in a powerful way despite the circumstances.

Corrie was obedient to Ephesians 5:20; “Give thanks for all things,” but she wrote in her book; “God, I can thank You for almost everything, but I can’t thank You for the lice.” Still, she obeyed and realized it was the lice that prevented the guards from coming into the barracks where the Bible was. When I began to trust God and His Word (The Bible), God began to change me. Thanking God for my husband’s cancer seemed goofy at the time but now I see the many blessings that occurred during that season years ago. God is always on the move working and redeeming ALL things no matter how difficult they may be. He is always good…everyday.

4/9/2025

Real Christianity

Wednesday Matters- April 9, 2025
Everyday Christianity

God offers amazing grace to you, grace you don’t earn or deserve but receive. No matter where a person comes from, their lifestyle, their religion, or race, God loves that person and offers Himself. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind and strength and the second, is to love our neighbor as yourself.

Unique to Christianity is God's command to love our enemies. Jesus said in Matthew 5:33-34, "You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." And Christianity is also the only faith that worships a living God. The number one message from Christ is for you to turn from your sin (repent) and turn to Him. Jesus, fully God and fully man, came for you to offer you forgiveness. This is singularly the Good News, The Gospel.

Easter is when we celebrate the miracle of Christ's resurrection. Our good works don't earn our salvation but accepting His good work, on the cross, does. Love God, love others and accept His Good News of grace…everyday.

4/2/2025

Technical

Wednesday Matters- April 2, 2025
Everyday India Tech

Again, I found myself dealing with my Internet provider so I could once again send and not just receive an email through my website account. God bless Amrinder who I spent 138 minutes with trying to solve my problem. And although this wasn’t my first time feeling frustrated and impatient with computer technology, I needed Holy Spirit intervention and deep breaths to keep calm and carry on. I can live my life following Colossians 3:17 as a representative of Jesus because of His grace represented in how I deal with crazy-making issues.

Yes, I was calling to receive a service, but I also had the opportunity to serve by listening and asking questions. It turns out Amrinder was from India and so we talked about the movie Slum Dog Millionaire. I heard from someone who knew about the poverty and the use of children that the movie addresses. I not only got my tech issue fixed but I was able to fix my focus on listening and loving another. Life is about people… …everyday.

3/26/2025

Sainthood

Wednesday Matters- March 26, 2025
Everyday Mother Teresa

It’s so much easier to point out what’s wrong with everybody else rather than look at our own junk to clean up. We all need help which is why our first step toward reconciliation is to confess our sins, receive God’s pardon and walk forward in a relationship with Jesus.

We cannot do anything to merit grace, and yet we look at someone like Mother Teresa and think surely, she entered into heaven because of what she did. If we emulate her sacrificial love in some small fashion, we are lulled into a false sense of security that persuades us that we have no need of repentance today. When the little saint humbly confessed her brokenness and her desperate need for God, either we were uncomprehending, or we secretly suspect her of false modesty. Real love, real grace, receive it and then walk forward and give the same to others…everyday.

3/19/2025

Holy Spirit

Wednesday Matters- March 19, 2025
Everyday Confess

We judge others by how they make us feel and we judge ourselves by our intentions. Although my heart’s intent was right my action was sin by crossing the line into gossip. I shared information with some trusted friends because I was concerned and wanted prayer. My mistake was sharing unnecessary details. So, I confessed my sin to God and to every person who had been directly affected by my wrongdoing,

Was my heart intent good? Yes. But did I hurt people in the process? Yes. My responsibility then was to apologize for the hurt I caused without adding “but” or “if” after my confession. It’s simply this; “I’m sorry for hurting you.” Period. Oh I wanted to add; “BUT you gossiped about me and I never intended to hurt you. BUT is that what Jesus does? Let’s follow Matthew 7:12; “In everything, do to others what you’d have them do to you” …everyday.

3/12/2025

Holy Spirit

Wednesday Matters- March 12, 2025
Everyday The Trinity

I remember our sons asking, “Mom, I don’t get the Trinity. How are the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus; all one?” My answer was “Water.” Life depends on water, just as our spiritual life in Christ depends on God. Water is three-in-one, too.

In its solid form, ice or snow, we can chew or throw it. In its liquid form, water, we can drink or swim in it. In its gas form, steam or vapor, we can breathe it. We experience water differently in each of its forms but it’s always H2O---a compound of hydrogen and oxygen. I never was a science girl, so I don’t really get how the water molecule works and I’ll never understand all the “whys” of God, but I know He’s a Redeemer who works for the good of His children. And from John 4:24 we know that “God is Spirit so let’s worship Him in spirit and in truth” …everyday.

3/5/2025

Amazing Grace

Wednesday Matters- March 5, 2025
Everyday Amazing Grace

Not that long ago, I had a new believer write to me who was moved by me singing Amazing Grace in church. The words, “saved a wretch like me” along with “I was blind but now I see” really moved them because they realized that God had saved them from their wretchedness. We are all blinded by lies and sin but through Christ our eyes can be opened.

It’s funny because someone had asked me to sing the song as a favor to them and it made me think how favor and grace are both translated from the same Greek word charis. When I do something for someone as a favor, I expect nothing in return, it is a gift, a blessing I give to someone. It’s the same way with God. His favor to us from John 3:16 is that He loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son so that if we believe in Him, we will have eternal life, His grace…everyday.

2/26/2025

Facebook

Wednesday Matters- February 26, 2025
Everyday Facebook

Facebook can make you crazy if you let it because PEOPLE and their comments. I slid into some comment threads over the election season and came across Eric who posted something so clearly that I asked his permission to share.

He wrote, “No one can justify sin. But if you don’t believe in God you can’t believe in sin against God. Romans 13:1 says, let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

The devil owns nothing. Any tool of the devil can be repurposed for the greatness of God’s Kingdom. Paul was a very evil murderer, and God used Him in significant ways to build his kingdom. We are fallen people voting for a fallen candidate in a fallen world. If people lift a candidate up to be a God, that is sinful. Period. If your candidate loses and people are hateful about it that is wrong. Sin doesn’t waiver by circumstances. This makes Jesus sinless life that much more miraculous and the One we need to follow” …everyday.

2/19/2025

Prayer

Wednesday Matters- February 19, 2025
Everyday Prayer

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 hope and encouragement no matter who we are…everyday.

2/12/2025

Peace

Wednesday Matters- February 12, 2025
Everyday Umpire of Peace

I always thought that having peace was a feeling and so I thought if I prayed God would give me a feeling about how to proceed. Years later, through prayer and understanding, I realize God’s gives peace in the way of “knowing” rather than just a feeling. This comes by way of the Holy Spirit.

Think how an umpire in a ball game decides if a player is “in” or “out” and in Colossians 3:15 there’s the Umpire of Peace, “Let the peace from Christ act as umpire in your hearts deciding and settling all questions that come into your mind.” We are able to ask God a question and trust the Holy Spirit on how to proceed. I remember my young friend, Rhonda, asking me if she should take an additional job because finances were tough but then again, the long hours would affect her family too. At first, my feelings were, “Take the job.” But after we prayed together neither of us had peace. So Rhonda refused the job and almost immediately help came in a different way. Pray with and for peace the “Umpire of Peace” …everyday.