A Heart for Christ: September 2024

Monday, September 30, 2024

Choosing Not to Take Revenge

When someone does something hurtful to you, it’s normal to feel like you want to get revenge. But as followers of Christ, we need to remember that revenge is not the answer. Romans 12:19 (NLT) says, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” This verse reminds us that when someone hurts us, we can trust God to handle it—He knows how to make things right.

Bullying is a huge problem, and sometimes we might think we should get back at bullies by making them feel just as bad as they make others feel. But think about this: maybe they bully because they feel bad about themselves or what’s going on in their lives. Maybe school is hard for them, or things at home aren’t that great. No matter what, it’s never right to hurt others. And trying to hurt them back only ends up hurting us more in the end.

So, the next time someone causes you trouble, remember to trust God. He sees everything and will take care of it. All we need to do is have faith and let Him fight our battles.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Choosing Forgiveness

Forgiveness is something many people struggle with because it can be really hard, especially when someone hurts you. I recently heard a story about a person who was bullied for how they dressed. Instead of holding onto anger, they chose to let it go and forgive the bully. That’s pretty inspiring!

Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord. This means that even when someone tries to hurt you, God is on your side and will take care of it. So instead of holding a grudge, it’s better to choose forgiveness.

No matter how tough it may seem, forgiveness is the best choice you can make. If you find yourself in a situation where it’s hard to forgive, just remember Isaiah 54:17. Forgiveness can lead to healing and peace!

Monday, September 16, 2024

Controlling Your Thoughts

Controlling your thoughts can be a challenge for a lot of people—maybe even you. But even though it’s difficult at times, it’s something God strongly encourages us to do. Philippians 4:8 (NLT) says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

When I’m at school, every teacher I know tells us how important it is to pay attention in class. If we zone out or talk while the teacher is speaking, we’ll probably miss something important. It’s really no different with God in this verse. He tells us to think about Him and the excellent things of His Kingdom because that's the way to keep the door open to His blessings, and He doesn't want us to miss them.

I’m pretty sure God knows how busy life gets for us. With so much craziness around us, it’s easy to get distracted. That’s why God tells us exactly what we should focus on to keep us from getting caught up in everything happening around us. This verse teaches that God doesn’t want us to think about things that displease Him. For example, if you had a bad experience in the past and it keeps coming to mind, you might start feeling sad or upset. But to get rid of those negative thoughts, you can pray and ask the Lord for help. He will definitely help you turn away from them.

So, in conclusion, always try to control the kinds of thoughts you have. And if you ever need help, know that our Heavenly Father will be there for you.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Monday, September 9, 2024

Denying Temptation

We’ve all probably felt like we could handle temptation in any situation, but when it comes to something we really like, it’s a different story. For example, imagine there’s an awesome festival you’ve been looking forward to, but it starts right when church begins. You might start feeling the urge to skip church and head to the festival instead. That’s when temptation starts knocking at your door, making it hard to stay on track.

In moments like these, it's important to remember not to give in, because giving in can lead to more problems. As 1 Timothy 6:9 NLT says, “People who desire to be rich fall into temptation and harmful desires that lead to ruin.” This verse helps us understand that when we let temptation win, it often leads to choices that can have negative consequences and make things worse.

Instead of giving in, try to focus on what really matters and remember that there’s always a way to make the right choice. By sticking to the values in God’s Word and not letting temptation take over, you can avoid the uncomfortable results that come with bad decisions. So next time temptation knocks, remember God has given you the strength and support to choose wisely and stay true to Him.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Don't Get Upset, Choose God's Love

We’ve all been in situations where we’ve felt like getting emotional or angry. But as children of God, we need to remember Philippians 2:5 NLT, which says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” This means we should follow Jesus’ example and learn to keep our emotions in check.

Here’s a great example of controlling your emotions: one time, my mom was at the store. She’d put her items in a basket because she noticed the conveyor belt was pretty dirty. But when she was checking out, the worker dumped everything from the basket onto the conveyor belt. Instead of getting upset, my mom chose to embrace the peace that God gives us. This shows that in situations like this, it’s always better to choose God's love and keep our emotions under control.

A Heart for Christ