There’s something that happens when we learn more about Jesus and invite Him into our daily lives. The Holy Spirit has an awe-inspiring way of guiding our choices, actions, consciousness, and conscience.
Once we know more about how Jesus lived and responded to the world, what a privilege it can be to take these learnings and strive to apply them in our own lives.
As we endeavor to remain rooted in God’s word (and make it through the remainder of winter), here’s a fun little acronym that will hopefully be easy to remember and reference: As you journey through life, be vigilant to remember your COAT.
Why? Because believers do things differently.
Compassion: Believers have a privilege and a responsibility to offer compassion to those around them. While we may not have walked a mile in anyone else’s shoes, we can offer to walk alongside them in a season to provide love, support, and encouragement. Jesus offered compassion when he encountered those in times of suffering. Who needs your compassion today?
Openness: To be fully known, we have to let others in. This may not involve a wide-spread broadcast of all our failings and shortcomings, but can involve using discernment and wisdom in bringing some safe people to journey through life’s hills and valleys with us. Through our openness, we can receive Christ’s love, and provide the same blessing to others. Who is a trustworthy person that we can allow into our lives as a mentor, counselor, or friend?
Accountability: Integrity is such a vital component of living in accordance with the Bible’s teachings. As we move through life, we are inevitably going to make mistakes and missteps. But what do we do with these? As believers, we can invite the Holy Spirit to nudge us when we need to own a failure and offer the proper apology to those affected. How can we increase our accountability?
Trust: As believers, what a blessing and gift to be able to place our trust in Jesus and His truth. Am I the only one who struggles with wanting to look for earthly solutions rather than placing my faith in the One who is truly in charge? Friends, this is a work in progress. But there is so much peace in letting God be God. How can we work to increase our trust?
Who is ready to move forward into this year, with God’s help, cloaked in a COAT? As we seek to become more firmly planted in our faith, I pray we will grow together in a spirit of compassion, openness, accountability, and trust.
Rooted in Grace and Grit 