This verse from Psalm 18:6 has been helping me pull back when I experience troubles and uncomfortable situations: “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”

I love how David called upon our great God when he was in distress.  

Are you under distress? Are you crying out to God for help? If not, what is holding you back? Who could be more capable of helping you than He is? The answer is – no one else can do for us what God can do.

What is even more beautiful in this verse is that David was assured that God heard his cry for help. He knew that God would help him, as is clear from his declaration in Psalm 120:1: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.”

Do you and I have that same confidence in God, so that when we call to God we are assured He has heard us, and that He WILL answer us?

When we have that confidence and assurance, it should instill in us the desire to pull back from fear, rash actions, defensive responses, etc., and press into God through prayer.

God has been helping me do this, and the peace I have as I pull back and press into Him through prayer, the greater my joy in the midst of my trials. 

I remember 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”When we do this, God meets us and helps us to focus on the words of Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

When I focus on the truth of who God is, the truth of His character, I am freed from the hold of negative, ungodly thoughts. God transforms my thinking. It is an amazing experience with Him!

As I press into God, seeking Him, I remember that with Him, nothing is impossible. Luke 1:37 reminds us of this truth: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

I’ve learned that sometimes the impossible that God does is to change me, and not the situation. 

As He changes me to be more like Jesus, I am able to represent Him well, and that is my desire.

The Lord Jesus is the best example of pulling back and pressing into prayer to His Father:

Matthew 14:23: “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”

John 17:1-5: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

Luke 5:16: “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

Mark 1:35: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

Hebrews 5:7: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”

Since Jesus saw it as a priority to pull back, and press into prayer to His Father, we should do likewise. We are gifted with the ability to do so because Jesus gave His life for us.

Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If so, then you have the great privilege of praying directly to our Heavenly Father. If you do not have that relationship with Jesus, please take the time now to seek God, confess your need for Jesus as Savior, and submit your life to Him.

I’m always glad to talk with you if you want to know more about a relationship with Jesus:  ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

This verse from Psalm 18:6 has been helping me pull back when I experience troubles and uncomfortable situations: “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”

I love how David called upon our great God when he was in distress.  

Are you under distress? Are you crying out to God for help? If not, what is holding you back? Who could be more capable of helping you than He is? The answer is – no one else can do for us what God can do.

What is even more beautiful in this verse is that David was assured that God heard his cry for help. He knew that God would help him, as is clear from his declaration in Psalm 120:1: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.”

Do you and I have that same confidence in God, so that when we call to God we are assured He has heard us, and that He WILL answer us?

When we have that confidence and assurance, it should instill in us the desire to pull back from fear, rash actions, defensive responses, etc., and press into God through prayer.

God has been helping me do this, and the peace I have as I pull back and press into Him through prayer, the greater my joy in the midst of my trials. 

I remember 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”When we do this, God meets us and helps us to focus on the words of Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

When I focus on the truth of who God is, the truth of His character, I am freed from the hold of negative, ungodly thoughts. God transforms my thinking. It is an amazing experience with Him!

As I press into God, seeking Him, I remember that with Him, nothing is impossible. Luke 1:37 reminds us of this truth: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

I’ve learned that sometimes the impossible that God does is to change me, and not the situation. 

As He changes me to be more like Jesus, I am able to represent Him well, and that is my desire.

The Lord Jesus is the best example of pulling back and pressing into prayer to His Father:

Matthew 14:23: “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”

John 17:1-5: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

Luke 5:16: “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

Mark 1:35: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

Hebrews 5:7: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”

Since Jesus saw it as a priority to pull back, and press into prayer to His Father, we should do likewise. We are gifted with the ability to do so because Jesus gave His life for us.

Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If so, then you have the great privilege of praying directly to our Heavenly Father. If you do not have that relationship with Jesus, please take the time now to seek God, confess your need for Jesus as Savior, and submit your life to Him.

I’m always glad to talk with you if you want to know more about a relationship with Jesus:  ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

What does it mean to be “fluid” for God? 

To me, it means being VERY flexible so that I am able to follow the lead of the Lord. It means adjusting to His will, and discarding my plans for His. 

Proverbs 16:9 [Amplified Version] states: “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.” Being fluid for the Lord means we allow God to change our plans, so that we walk in His steps.

Why is it necessary to be “fluid” for God?

2 Tim 2:10 [Amplified Version] gives us the reason why: “For this reason I [am ready to] patiently endure all things for the sake of those who are the elect (God’s chosen ones), so that they too may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it the reward of eternal glory.”

Being fluid, flexible, pliable, moldable, in following the Lord will facilitate the spread of the Gospel.

Why do we need to spread the Gospel?

We must share the Gospel because it is the means for people to be pulled from darkness [the allure of the enemy, the love of the world and its trappings], and to be brought into the light of God.

1 John 1:7 helps us to understand the significance of being brought into the light of God: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” By walking in the light of God, we are cleansed from our sin.

It is not popular today to accept the truth that we are sinners. But God states it very clearly: 

1 John 1:8-10: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

It is an urgent matter to be following the living God, so that those of us who have a personal, living relationship with God through His Son Jesus, can make Him known. 

This is why God’s people must be fluid for Him, so that we are effective for His Kingdom.

Since we are saved – pulled out of the spiritual darkness that we were born into – we should want to do whatever He asks of us, even if it requires hardship and challenges.

Often, we don’t like being fluid because being fluid means we are not “in control” of the plans for our day, or our life. The truth is, we are NOT in control, even when we think we are! 

We like to be organized and have our plans go the way we have ordered them. But God wants us to relax, and trust Him with His plans.

I believe this quote provides a key to being fluid for the Lord: “When I understand that everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety.”—A.W. Tozer

Being fluid in the hands of God creates Christ’s character in us. It is how He develops evidence of the work of His Holy Spirit in us.

When I think of Biblical accounts of people who were fluid in the hands of God, I am reminded that all the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 had to be fluid for the Lord to accomplish His purposes through them.

Acts 16:6-10: “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Do you notice how fluid Paul and his companions were in the above verses? 

They had to be connected to God’s Holy Spirit in order to be able to know the distinction between their plans and God’s plans.

That connection requires a relationship with God through Jesus. Do you have that personal relationship, or have you created your own plan for spiritual matters?

We cannot have it both our way and God’s way. There is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus. God states that in John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” and in Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Being fluid for God requires us to be willing to adjust our plans, even at the last minute. That is not always comfortable, but it is necessary for us to walk intimately with the Lord, to accomplish His plans.

Being fluid for God is the way to the greatest blessings.

What do you want from a relationship with God? 

If you want the ultimate experience with Him, then being fluid is necessary. Why settle for anything less than God’s best?

Please don’t let anxiety, fear, or any other emotion hold you back from following God wholeheartedly, fluidly, and with flexibility.

Resisting God is futile. It only leads to aggravation and frustration, but following God leads to fulfillment!

Please contact me about following God fluidly:  ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

The online dictionary defines communication as: “the imparting or exchanging of information or news.”

Communication also requires that we allow others to have their opinions, even when they are different from our own. 

Again, we must keep in mind that when exchanging information and/or ideas, we need to do so in love.

It doesn’t mean we have to believe the ungodly views of others. Jude 1:4 “For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” We must be discerning in our relationships. Communication can sometimes help pierce the darkness of ungodliness. 

In the Bible, light often represents God, and His ways, while darkness represents evil, and its ways. God’s word can pierce the darkness.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” states Isaiah 9:2. That light is Jesus, and He wants to bring life to all who will call upon Him. 

God’s people are called to communicate this truth about Him to others. 

Good communication is loving, and presents the Gospel so that others can understand the love of God. We share it out of our experience of His lovingkindness in our relationship with Him.

I find that the breakdown in communication is on the rise. 

Social media has fooled people into thinking that the snippets posted to someone’s account are sufficient to build lasting and grounded relationships. That is a lie. 

Since Satan is the father of lies, we understand that this is more than a human battle, it is a spiritual battle. John 8:44 states it this way: “You [Anyone who does not have a true relationship with God the Father through Jesus the Son, by the work of the Holy Spirit.] belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Solid communication between people, and within churches, must always be based on truth. 

Communication is hindered by a lack of commitment to a relationship.

Communication is hindered when people believe the worst of others, rather than believing the best.

Communication is hindered when we are out for our own selfish desires.

Communication is enhanced when people remember that we are all sinners.

Communication is enhanced when we extend mercy, as God has extended mercy to us.

Communication is enhanced when we look out for the welfare of others.

James teaches us further about our tongue, and its ability to wreak havoc in relationships:

We all stumble in many ways. James 3:2-12 states: We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” 

James’ gives word pictures to help us understand the impact of the tongue: “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.” [Don’t despair, God can help us tame our tongue through His indwelling Spirit who resides in every true follower of Christ.]

“It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” [Believers should not behave in such a manner, because we have God’s Spirit living in us, guiding us, convicting us, and helping us to live righteously.]

“Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” [God has a different standard for believers. We cannot expect an unbeliever to behave in the same manner as a true Christ follower, because unbelievers do not have the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit.]

Communication is key for healthy relationships and healthy churches. 

Will you be a key communicator so that your church and your relationships are healthy, in as much as it depends upon you – Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Please contact me if you want to talk about having a relationship with Jesus that is alive and vibrant:  ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

God has instilled in each person the need for relationships. We need God to be in a right relationship with people.  Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we can have. It is the foundation for all healthy relationships. It is built on communication with God.

But God has also created us to have relationships with one another. We need people. God created us that way. If we don’t believe that, we are denying how our Creator designed us. God created us to be connected to one another.

Remember what God said in Genesis 2:18: “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

The Bible refers to Christ’s followers as “the body of Christ”. Our human bodies provide a wonderful word picture of the body of Christ. Consider what happens in the human body when the brain ceases to communicate properly with the rest of the person’s body, such as when a person has a stroke. The person doesn’t act in a “normal” manner. A person’s arms, legs or mouth may cease to work properly because communication from the brain is improper. 

Similarly, when the body of Christ, aka God’s people, fail to properly communicate with Jesus and with one another, the body of believers suffers from the breakdown in communication. 

Just as poor communication is detrimental to the human body’s good health, improper communication with God and one another results in the breakdown of the body of Christ.

Consider the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 [The Living Bible]: “Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the “body” of Christ. Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ’s body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit.”

As people who form the body of Christ, we need to communicate with one another for healthy and effective relationships. That is what God has designed, and it is good.

Poor communication often leads people to make conclusions not based on fact. 

Poor communication can cause people to feel excluded. 

Poor communication can often lead to misunderstandings.

Poor communication may lead to division.

Poor communication may cause hurt that might cause people to leave a church.

But God can enable us to communicate with each other, when we ask Him for help, and humble ourselves and rely upon Him. 

God can bring healing, when people are willing to talk with each other, and open to hearing another opinion.

Words are important, after all, God spoke and our world was “equipped” with the sun, moon, stars. He spoke, and plants and animals came into existence. [See Genesis 1-2 for specific details.] 

Words are powerful. They can build people up, or they can break down relationships. The lack of words can be powerful in the same way, because unspoken words leave people with creating their own scenarios, which can be detrimental to relationships. 

Consider the following verses regarding words, and consider how these verses apply to good or poor communication:

Proverbs 11:9: “With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

Proverbs 15:4: “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

Proverbs 18:21: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Good communication includes the use of words, tone, and timing. 

Good communication can powerfully influence a relationship.

Good communication is work, but it is worth the effort.

It takes time to be a good communicator. I’ve often found that God calls me to be an initiator in communications in my relationships. Sometimes it might be a short text, an email, or even a telephone call. I’ve been blessed many times because I took the time to initiate contact.

Have you ever had someone say to you something to the effect that they haven’t heard from you in a while? I often wonder when I hear that, why didn’t that person reach out and call? We wouldn’t say that, but we might think it!

As God’s true people, we need to be those who reach out, and in a church setting, if everyone is expending the effort to communicate, we will have healthy bodies of believers. Realistically, everyone will not make the effort to reach out. But God wants those of us who understand this necessity, to be initiators.

That will cause people to take notice. 

That will cause people to want to know what we have that they are missing.

That will cause people to listen to us when we share the Gospel.

People want to feel connected to others, at home, at work, and in their church. This means effort and time must be invested in order to build relationships. 

Please contact me if you want to talk about good communication:  ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

I believe that it is often easy to confuse a lifestyle change from the change God is making in our lives, as He works to sanctify us [Sanctify means God is making us more like Jesus. He is setting us apart from the world’s ways].

Changing our lifestyle is a necessary part of the work God does when we come to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

But we need to realize that people without a true relationship with God can’t make lifestyle changes that are the same as those of us who have a relationship with Jesus.

For example, partying and getting drunk are not behaviors which honor the Lord. Ephesians 5:18 directs us in this matter: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”. When we walk in the power of the Spirit, we are self-controlled, the opposite of what happens when we get drunk.

Another example, is how we view and handle ourselves with regard to sexuality. Hebrews 13:4 gives clarification of the role of sex in our lives: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” 1 Corinthians 6:18 explains why we need to be engaged in sex only in the marital setting: “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” We certainly don’t want to cause ourselves harm! We want to live under God’s blessing.

These are a few examples of lifestyle changes. These are not always an indicator of a relationship with Jesus. Some people have good moral standards.

But God wants more than a lifestyle change and good moral standards. 

I want more than a lifestyle change. I want permanent changes to my sinful character so that I am increasingly abiding in Jesus. John 3:30 ESV: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30 NIV: “He must become greater; I must become less.”

This kind of change only happens as God’s Holy Spirit works in the life of a true follower of Christ.

His Spirit produces a desire in us to want to live fully for Christ. 

His Spirit, through His word, is living and active.

His Spirit, through His word, changes us. 

His Spirit produces a desire to spend time reading and studying the word of God.

His Spirit produces a desire to talk with God, to seek Him, and increasingly surrender to Him.

His Spirit convicts us of sin, and leads us in repentance.

Have you ever tried to produce patience in yourself? I find that when I try to produce patience in myself, I get more impatient, because I simply cannot do it on my own.

Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us it is the “fruit of the Spirit”. It is not the fruit of my efforts! [“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”]

I cannot fully explain how my character changes – reading God’s word daily, talking with Him throughout each day, spending time with other people intent on following and obeying God, etc. – but it is a work of God’s power through His Spirit to change me.  I can testify that the changes in my character, my way of approaching people, are not because of my efforts, but a supernatural work of God in me.

What I find incredible in this process is that I am more relaxed knowing that as I pursue God, He is making the changes in me. I don’t feel uptight about not meeting some level of performance or expectation. That is what the ungodly world thinks, that it is something we are expected to do. God reassures me that He will do the work in me. 

But God expects that we will cooperate with the leading of His Holy Spirit, reading the Bible and obeying it increasingly.

But God tells me in Matthew 16:24-26: “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me[That means to make a commitment to God through Jesus.], let him deny himself [Choose to reject ungodly ways.] and take up his cross [We need to make a full surrender to God.] and follow me [FOLLOW – not figure it out, but look to Him and He WILL guide us]. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [The way to what truly matters is to let go of what goes against God, and then we will find what truly matters.] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” [We have everything to gain when we surrender to Christ!]

2 Corinthians 5:17 in the Amplified Bible provides some further understanding: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].”

Galatians 2:20 reminds us that it is Christ in us who is working out our new life in Him: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

What is significant is that Christ is doing the work. We cannot compare this to anything we know in this worldly existence. We must take it by faith. It is more than a lifestyle change, it is a character change.

Please contact me if you want to talk about becoming a changed person in Christ:  ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Has anyone ever asked you if you liked her haircut, and you thought to yourself, “no, it’s awful”, but you didn’t want to tell the person what you were thinking, so you complimented the person instead of telling her the truth? 

If you’ve had that scenario, or a similar one, happen to you, why were you afraid to tell the person the truth? 

Likely you were “scared” that by telling the truth you would hurt someone’s feelings, and that is awkward. We don’t like awkward. Most of us are inclined to want others to think well of us. We don’t want to alienate people. 

However, I’ve learned that I can’t be afraid of the truth, but that I have to be wise and discerning in my approach (I have a lot to learn yet), and the timing of when I share the truth.

How about the truth of the Gospel – does the thought of sharing it with others sometimes scare you? It’s not that the Gospel is scary, it’s the effect of the truth of the Gospel message that is often uncomfortable.

But God tells us the Gospel is the best message we can ever share with anyone. 

What could be better news to share than the truth that a person can have eternal life, because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins? That is amazing news. After all, we could never pay the penalty for our sins. Without Jesus, we are lost forever. But God provided His own sacrifice in His Son, Jesus, so that we can have a living, active, vibrant relationship with Him. [Ephesians 1:7: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”; Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”; 1 Peter 2:24: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”]

Why then would we shy away from sharing the Gospel, or any truth from the Bible, at every possible opportunity?

Could it be because we are less concerned about the person’s eternal welfare and more concerned about how people might respond to us?

In some countries, Christ’s followers are maimed or put to death for sharing the Gospel. Those events are scary, but God is so close to His people in those moments that their experience with Him outweighs the earthly discomfort.

Consider these events in the life of the Apostle Paul:

“Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” [Acts 14:19] That is a very scary event. I can’t imagine how sore his body must have been. Paul was stoned because he boldly shared truth.

He told God’s truth. He encouraged them to turn from worthless things to the living God [Acts 14:15].

What did Paul do after that took place?

“But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.” [Acts 14:20] Paul went back into the city!! That is an unnatural reaction to such a situation. It had to have been God-inspired, because only a person walking intimately with God would have acted so courageously. 

Paul was not scared of the truth of the Gospel, nor was he scared of the impact telling that truth would bring. Paul cared about people’s position with God. He wanted everyone to know the Lord, being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

I want to be that bold and courageous for the Lord. I don’t want to be scared of telling the truth. However, I do want to tell the truth in God’s way and in His timing.

I’ve learned that God will provide me with the correct response to a person’s question, when I pause before speaking, to ask Him for help.

For instance, if someone were to ask me if I like their haircut, and I don’t, my reply might be something like: “Do you like it, because that is what matters.” That IS the truth. It really doesn’t matter if I like the haircut, it only matters if the person likes it. 

Additionally, I’ve learned not to ask for an opinion if I’m not ready for the person to give me her honest answer. I don’t want someone to “rubber stamp” my thoughts if they disagree. I trust the people I ask for an opinion.

God wants us to take our questions to Him. We should always be willing and receptive to His answers.

After all, God is truth, and the truth sets us free from sin’s bondage [“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32].

How about you? Are you afraid to speak the truth of the Gospel because you don’t want to offend someone? Please take this to God in prayer, so that He can guide and help you to be bold for His kingdom.

Please contact me at:  ButGodCares@gmail.com, if you would like to talk about being set free to share the Gospel and truth from God’s word.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Every day we are influenced by many factors. 

Family members, friends, co-workers, co-students, neighbors, clerks in a store, mail, email, social media, the news, books and magazines, food, exercise, Satan, and the list goes on, are ways the world influences us. It is often said, that we become like who or what influences us.

But God, in His amazing mercy and grace, has provided us with what we need to be influenced by Him, and there is no better influencer than our great God. 

He has provided the Bible – His living and active word of life, His indwelling Holy Spirit, and other Christ followers as ways to influence us toward Godliness. These should be what shapes our character more than anything else in this world.

What is most influential in shaping your character? Is it God and His word, or is it the world? 

You might think, “I live in this world, of course it is going to influence me in how I live”. But God doesn’t want it to be the dominate influence in our lives.

How do we keep from allowing the world’s influence to dominate our lives?

We purpose to make God the primary influence in our lives. 

This happens when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. We need to be excited about the Gospel, because it is exciting!

We should admit we are sinners, in need of His salvation, because we are unable to pay God for the penalty for our sin. Jesus is the one and only way to be reconciled to our Creator and Heavenly Father: John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

When we come to that place of submitting ourselves to the Lord, through His Son, Jesus, He provides us with His indwelling Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

The Holy Spirit works to draw us toward God as we read the Bible. John 6:44: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

The Holy Spirit works to guide us away from the things of this world, and more deeply toward what honors God, providing us with an understanding of truth. John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

The more time we spend with God, in prayer as we read and study the Bible, the greater His influence is in our lives. As this happens, we increasingly lose interest in the allure of the world, and its influence diminishes.

There are warnings in the Bible about holding too closely to the ways and things of this world.  The following are a few verses to consider:

Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Ephesians 5:11: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

Matthew 16:26: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

There are promises for people who hold tightly to God [Who is actually holding on to us]: 

Isaiah 40:31: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Galatians 5:16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

It is too easy to think that the people and things of this world should be our source of satisfaction. However, it doesn’t take long for us to truly recognize that is a lie. God alone is the One who is able to fill our hearts and souls with all we need. He created us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He placed inside each person the desire to know and to love Him. 

1 John 4:19 reminds us that we are unable to love on our own. It is God who first loved us, and He creates in those who follow Christ, the ability to love Him, and to love others.

The greater our love and commitment to God, the less our desire to be like the world. This may also result in the people of the world [those without a personal relationship with Jesus] rejecting us [1 John 3:1: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”]. 

As this happens, it takes time for us to adjust to their rejection. But God, through His Holy Spirit, will help us not to retaliate, but to pray, and to continue to love them [Matthew 5:43-48: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”]

The best role model for not allowing the world to be a dominant influence in our lives is Jesus. 

Jesus submitted to His Father, even by giving His life willingly on the cross. [We may not be able to pay sin’s penalty, but we can tell others about the One who did.]

Jesus loved people, in action. [We can also love people in tangible ways.]

Jesus provides for our every need. [We can share with others how He has provided for us.]

Jesus did much more, and that is why we must spend time in the Bible every day, gaining insight into His character and actions.

By following Jesus’ example, we can become more like Him, and as that happens, the things of this world dim in the light of His glory and grace. 

God will continuously shape our character, so that we are increasingly drawn to His ways, and not the ways of this world.

We must maintain vigilance in our relationship with the Lord, so that we don’t allow room for the world’s allure to creep into our lives. Remaining connected with others who are pursuing God helps in this process. Serving the Lord, as we obey Him, adds to our spiritual growth. 

Pray. Seek God. Read His word, obey Him, and keep doing this!

Today, what might we need to do so that we are less influenced by the world, and more influenced by God, so that we can be positive influencers for others?

Please contact me at:  ButGodCares@gmail.com, if I can help you in your pursuit of God, so that you can be an influencer for Christ.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

I have been thinking a lot about Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God’s thoughts are so much better than mine! Since that is the case, why do I too often fail to allow His thoughts to dominate my life?

I want to replace my less important, ungodly and unedifying thoughts with ones that honor God, and reveal that I have spent time with Jesus.

This is a work of His Spirit in me, and as I experience the change in me, I am further assured of my relationship with Jesus.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot produce in myself Christ’s character. That is a comfort to me.  

God isn’t expecting me to figure this all out myself. 

God isn’t expecting me to change myself.

God is expecting me to cooperate with His Spirit.

God is expecting me to spend time alone with Him – in His Word, and in prayer.

As a very young follower of Jesus, I was doing a study in the book of 1 John. John speaks about God’s love throughout the book. I remember thinking, “I cannot love like God”. I felt condemned. But God kept moving me along, and I came to realize that in and of myself, I CAN’T love like God! God has to work in and through me to produce His love. I was so relieved when I understood this truth.

Often, our character development takes place through challenges in our lives:

Romans 5:3-5: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Consider the above verses. They tell us that we should REJOICE in our sufferings! That is not the worldly perspective on suffering, but God’s thoughts are not ours! When we view our sufferings His way, something good takes place. According to the above verses, endurance, then character development, then hope are the outcome, when we think God’s way.

Consider what happens when we only gripe and complain, throw a pity party, or some other tantrum, when suffering enters our lives. We can alienate people, because who likes to hear someone have a pity party. Lending a listening ear a few times might be all someone needs, but when the person doesn’t move forward, and keeps up without taking on God’s thoughts regarding their situation, it weighs on the relationship.

That is because God wants us to take all our concerns to HIM!  

I Peter 5:7 in the NIV states this truth: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The Amplified version states that verse this way: “casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”

God alone knows what is best for each of us. In fact, He tells us that He has personally designed the details of our lives, and since He is our Creator, the Lover of our souls, and the One who planned our reconciliation with Himself, we should believe Him, and put our trust in Him.  Consider the following verses:

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

What are ways I cooperate with God in my character development?

Philippians 4:8 gives us direction: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” This verse is calling upon me to make the decision to center my thoughts in a Godly manner. It takes dependence upon His Spirit, but because I am His, and call upon Him for help, He helps me to turn my thoughts where they should be.

Galatians 6:7-8 provides further assistance: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” If I speak kind and edifying words to others, especially those who are unkind to me, God will bring kindness to me. It is often not from the one I’m “sowing” to, but at some point, someone speaks edifying words to me. God’s thinking in how we should handle ourselves is so much greater than what we think.

It comes down to choices. Will I choose God’s way or my way? Will I allow God’s thoughts to dominate my life, or will I lean into my own understanding?

What do I want to choose? Do I want to honor God more than my fleshly desires? If so, God will grant me success. It’s not always immediate. It’s not always happening. But God gives me chances to confess and repent, and move ahead with Him. Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out”.

Please consider Paul’s words to the Ephesians in Ephesians 4:1-3: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Paul knew what it was to suffer. He did it with rejoicing. Since God enabled him to do it, and He is the same God today, He can enable you and me to successfully walk with Him, rejoicing in our suffering.

What do you want to choose? Will you choose to seek God first, and His righteousness, and allow Him to walk with you through your sufferings, or will you choose to seek worldly means in an attempt to handle matters in your own understanding?

Since God’s ways are superior to our ways, why not relinquish yourself into His loving arms, and experience His deliverance through your challenges?

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, then you are going through life without His power and all of His benefits. Please consider turning to Him, and submitting your life to His control. If you truly do this, you will never regret it. One day you will regret not taking this step. But God is giving you this moment to take that step.

I would be glad to help you take that step. Please contact me at:  ButGodCares@gmail.com, if I can help you make this choice for Jesus.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Last week I talked about remaining and abiding in Jesus. When I think of this, I think about a child who is eager to hold her grandmother’s hand, to talk with her, to listen to her advice, and to exemplify the Godly character that her grandmother has modeled for her. [How I pray I can be that grandmother.]

I want to be that grandmother, and I can be, as long as I abide and remain in Christ.

How about you? What example do you want to be in the lives of your family and friends?

Jesus tells us in John 15:7 that “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” 

We can be those followers of Christ to bring Him glory!

We can be those followers of Christ who reveal to others that we are His disciples.

Jesus spoke of how love is a part of abiding in Him: John 15:9-10: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” 

Joy also is a result of abiding in Christ: John 15:11: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” 

What is produced in us by having God’s love instilled in us through abiding is that we can obey His commands, and the greatest is to love God, and then to express that love in action toward others. Jesus makes this clear in John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” 

A shift in relationship takes place when we abide in Him. 

We are His friend: John 15:13-17: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”

As we abide in Jesus, we also need to recognize that there will be people, stirred by Satan, who will hate us: John 18-21 reveals that truth: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”

Because they don’t know Jesus, we, as His abiding followers, are responsible to share the message of the Gospel. 

The message that reveals what true love is. 

The message that reveals our need for a Savior, because we cannot save ourselves.

The message that reveals His mercy and grace for sinful people.

The message that reveals the one way to reconciliation with our Creator.

The message that reveals there is hope for all who accept Jesus.

The message that reveals He is preparing eternal life’s existence for His followers.

The message that His followers are not alone, but are always accompanied by His Spirit.

The message that He is going to return one day, and all will be set into right order, for eternity, for those who follow Him.

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, what are you waiting for? Why are you holding back?

Please don’t let the sun go down today before you decide to follow Jesus.

Please reach out to me, I’d be glad to talk with you about this eternal decision.

Please contact me at:  ButGodCares@gmail.com, if you want to talk about God.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.