Rejoice all time

Lesedauer < 1 Minute

How does joy arise? Joy is a reaction to a happy event, something beautiful that I have experienced, an emotion in a pleasant situation or the memory of it. This is a joy that depends on my circumstances, on how I feel, on events that happen to me.

Paul writes in Philippians “Rejoice at all times!” But there are also circumstances that do not give rise to joy, difficulties, challenges, problems, crises, bad days. How can I be happy there at all times?

So there is a joy that does not depend on circumstances, but is constant at all times, and which I can remember especially in difficult situations. Where does this joy come from, where is the source of this joy?

If I read on in Philippians, Paul describes the origin of this joy:

“Rejoice at all times because you are connected with the Lord”

Another Bible translation reads:

“Rejoice in the Lord always”

The secret lies in the connection with God. God is the source of joy.

My joy comes from knowing that God is with me no matter what the circumstances are. This is a joy that nothing and nobody can take away from me and that also leads me through the valleys of life. The relationship with God is the key to this joy that never fades. Through fellowship with God, I can change my perspective even in difficulties, challenges, problems, crises and bad days. I look to Jesus and his presence instead of what is bothering me. His love and the joy he gives carry me through.

“One joy dispels a hundred worries” (Japanese proverb)

“To be close to God is my happiness” Psam 73:28

“The joy in the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10

Dealing with difficult people

Lesedauer 4 Minuten

We meet a wide variety of people on our journey through life. Everyone is unique, everyone has their own peculiarities, their values, their life experiences, their behavior. Sometimes it is easy for us to establish a relationship, the feeling is right from the start, we feel a sympathy and connection with the other. We understand each other when we have similar interests, when we have experienced similar things, when we find characteristics of ourselves in the other. Often it is also the opposites that attract us, we recognize positive qualities in people that we don’t have, and the other way around in us, so that we complement each other perfectly in the relationship.

However, there are also encounters with people who seem difficult to us, where we often don’t know exactly how to deal with them. These can be people who hurt us, people who constantly nag and whine, people who like to blaspheme or poke at others, who make others small, can get quick tempered or angry, people who steal our energy, etc. These people have behaviors that cause us problems and that we find difficult to deal with.

How can we deal with it without letting ourselves be led to negative actions, without being influenced by them, without making ourselves vulnerable and open to attack?

The best and most effective method and strategy we have as children of God is the love of God within us. The Word of God challenges us to meet everyone, whether friend or enemy, with this love.


“Accept one another as Christ accepted you” Romans 15: 7


“You have heard that the Law of Moses says, ‘Love your neighbor’ [14] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, Love your enemies. [15] Pray for those who persecute you. 45 So act like true children of your Heavenly Father. Because he makes the sun rise for bad and good and sends rain for the just as for the unjust. 46 If you only love those who love you too, what is special about it? Even the corrupt tax collectors do that. 47 If you are only kind to your friends, how do you distinguish yourself from other people? Even those who do not know God do that. 48 But you shall be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect. ”Matthew 5: 43-46


We can try and learn to see everyone with God’s eyes, without judging. We should be aware that everyone is a creature of God and that God loves everyone. God always makes a distinction between man himself and his behavior. God hates sin, but loves the sinner.

“But God proves his great love for us precisely by the fact that Christ died for us when we were still sinners” Romans 5: 8

If we meet difficult people in a friendly, loving manner, with a smile, we can radiate God’s love within us and make the other think about his behavior.

To see fellow human beings through God’s eyes means to be interested in them, to question the background of his behavior. Why did man react one way or another, why did he behave like this? We should try to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes and understand them before we judge. The other could have had negative experiences himself, be hurt himself or have a bad day, etc. Nothing justifies that he belittles or insults other people because of it, but knowing the motives does help us to not take his behaviour personally. Often the behavior of the other has nothing to do with us.

Injured people hurt people

What we can still do when we encounter difficult people in our eyes is to ask ourselves what we can learn from them and what the respective situation wants to show us. It is also possible that the other person reflects behavior to me that I don’t like about myself and that I should change.

“As one grinds iron through iron, so one man grinds another’s character” Proverbs 27:17

We ourselves have flaws and weaknesses that can be difficult for others.

“Why do you see every little splinter in the eye of your fellow man, but you don’t notice the bar in your own eye? 4 How can you say to him: ‘Come here! I want to pull the splinter out of your eye! ‘And you have a beam in your eye yourself! 5 You hypocrite! First remove the bar from your eye, then you can see clearly in order to also pull the splinter out of the eye of your fellow man. ”Matthew 7: 3-5

We can learn from Jesus to love people and to accept them as they are. We shouldn’t pigeonhole people or divide them into different categories based on their behavior. Because if we say from the outset that this person is so and so, we have an opinion about a person that is difficult to get rid of. We form an image from which we can hardly break free, even if the person tries hard. That is why it is so important to let go of inappropriate behavior, to forgive and not to be resentful, not always to look at the mistakes of the other, but to look at his positive traits that discover treasures in the other.

“Love is always ready to believe the best of everyone.” 1 Corinthians 13: 5

“My friends! Let us love one another because love comes from God. He who loves is a child of God and knows God. ”1. John 4: 7


We should never repay evil for evil, but rather

pray for the other “But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5:44
forgiven “Rather, be kind and merciful and forgive one another, just as God forgave you through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4.32
Not crediting guilt “Most of all, don’t let up in loving one another. Because “love overlooks mistakes” 1 Peter 4: 8
do not talk badly about the other person, make him badly with others “Who gossips about others, shares secrets; but those who are reliable keep a secret to themselves ”Proverbs 11:13“ Do not speak ill of one another, but have a good word for everyone who needs it. What you say should be helpful and encouraging, a benefit to all Ephesians 4:29
help “but you who really listen to me, I say: love your enemies and do good to those who hate you” Luke 6:27
Do not be malicious “Do not rejoice over the misfortune of your enemy; do not rejoice at his fall! ”Proverbs 24:17
“Always treat people as you would like them to treat you” Matthew 7:12


To implement all of these resolutions and to deal with people as described in these verses is impossible by one’s own strength and willpower. In order to be able to act in this way, we must be filled with God’s power and live from his love. Our natures are weak, but God’s Spirit within us makes the impossible possible if we only trust and believe.

The desert

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

Poem:

The desert – a place of dryness,

Drought and disorientation.

The heat during the day – the cold at night

makes life and growth impossible.

Desolate and deserted, only stones and sand,

far away is blooming land.

The desert – a difficult life

Challenge, crisis, waiting time.

“Don’t be afraid

I am with you and do not leave you “,

a soft voice speaks to you.

God is there and hope awakens

his loving arm watches over you.

Especially in your desert time

his love is not far from you

He meets you in emptiness and silence,

Community and relationship – that is his will.

Open your thirsty heart to him

he knows your desert, he knows your pain.

He is your provider in the arid country.

He guides you through the desert with a strong hand.

He is the source that never runs dry

and your desert bloomed like a garden.

The presence of God will envelop you

fill you with growth and new life.

(by Ulrike Nägele)

Imagine a desert landscape. Far and wide only stones and sand. There is no water and the drought does not allow vegetation. The heat during the day and the cold at night are almost unbearable and life conditions are hard. Life is not possible and the infinite vastness leads to disorientation and aberration. The lack of vital water makes you thirsty. The desert is an abandoned place, no one far and wide.

In our lives, too, we sometimes experience desert times. Challenges, trials, hopelessness, loneliness, difficult circumstances to which we are exposed. We are disoriented, lost our way and thirst for water that is essential for life.

But there is an oasis that promises life, a source that never runs dry, a fountain that overflows. Desert times are not always the worst times because they often lead us to this saving oasis, to the living source.

This is how I experienced it in my life, exactly in my most difficult time, when everything seemed lost and hopeless, I experienced the presence of God as strong as never before, experienced liberation and Jesus led me out of the desert into the community and relationship with him .

I will give to the thirsty from the source of living water for free. Revelation 21: 6-1
“But whoever drinks of the water that I give him will not be thirsty forever, but the water that I will give him will become a source of water in him that swells in eternal life.” John 4 , 14

“Because in you is the source of life, and in your light we see the light.” Psalm 36:10

Jesus is the source of life, he leads us out of the desert and provides us with guidance and support. There is new life in him, he is “the way-the truth and the life”. Jesus quenches our thirst and lets us bloom again like a flower, he lets us grow and prosper. It protects us from dangers and never leaves us alone.


“The desert becomes a flowering meadow and you can hear cheers from the mountains. Psalm 65:13

“When the Lord led them through the desert, they did not have to suffer thirst because he provided water: he split the rock and a stream gushed out” Isaiah 48:21

“I let brooks break out on the bare hills, and springs are said to spring in barren valleys. I am transforming the desert into fertile land with ponds and bubbling springs ”Isaiah 41:18

“Look; I’m doing something new; it is already germinating. Don’t you see it? I make my way through the desert and create rivers in the wasteland ”Isaiah 43:19

“The Lord your God took your wandering through this great desert on his heart.” Deuteronomy 2: 7

“God! You are my god! I long for you, I need you! Like an arid steppe longing for rain, I thirst, oh God, for you. ”Psalm 62: 2-3

Remove the masks

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

How are you in the current situation with a mask obligation? It happens to me often, when I go to the village or to the shop for shopping that I don’t recognize the people under the mask at first. I always have to look twice. Meeting people with masks is different, it feels more distant, I don’t recognize facial expressions, no facial language. The masks serve as protection, but they are like a barrier between people.

Today, however, I would like to speak about those masks that we also wear outside of obligated mask times. We all know situations in which we wore an invisible mask. Situations where we do not show what we really are, pretend and are not authentic. But why do we want to hide behind masks?

we want to protect ourselves
we are afraid to show our true face
we think about what other people think or say about us
we seek recognition from people
we just want to show our best side
we are afraid of being hurt even if we show our mistakes and weaknesses
we fear the judgment of other people
As a result, we like to take on roles that we are not. We pretend and hide under a mask that shows the picture of us that we just want to show.

But we are not really doing well, we all want to be accepted and seen, just how we really are. We feel comfortable in an environment and with people, where we are accepted and loved, with all our mistakes, inadequacies and weaknesses, in our imperfection.

Where and with whom can we remove our masks?

I have experienced such unconditional love primarily with God. I don’t have to pretend in front of him, he knows me better than I know myself. He knows my heart and everything that goes on there.

“Lord, you have tested my heart and know everything about me” Psalm 139: 1

He knows every one of my thoughts.

“When I sit or when I get up, you know it. You know all my thoughts ”Psalm 139.2

He knows all of my intentions and actions.

“When I go or when I rest, you see it and you are familiar with everything I do” Psalm 139.3

He knows my words.

“And you, Lord, know what I want to say before I say it” Psalm 139: 4

I cannot hide from God because He is everywhere.

“Where should I flee from your mind, and where could I escape your presence? If I fly up to heaven, you are there; I went down into the realm of the dead [1], so you are there too. If I took the wings of the dawn or lived on the outermost sea, your hand would also lead me there and your strong arm would hold me. If I asked the darkness to hide myself and the light around me to become night – I could still not hide from you; for night shines as brightly as day and darkness as light “Psalm 139: 7-12

God loves me just as I am. His love is unconditional. He has good thoughts about me.

“How precious are your thoughts about me [3], God! There are an infinite number. If I wanted to count them, they are more numerous than the sand! ”Psalm 139: 17-18

The more I become aware of his love and recognize who I am in God’s eyes, the more I can accept myself as I am and be authentic to the outside world.
The more I know how God thinks about me, the less important I get what other people think about me. Fear of God defeats fear of man.
The more I realize that God is powerful in my weakness, the easier it is for me to show my weaknesses and to be less vulnerable.
The more I know that I am a child of God and belong to him, the less I always have to belong everywhere.
The more masks I take off, the freer I become and the more i can be who I really am, just as God created and meant me.

“You created everything in me and shaped me in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderful and excellent! Your works are wonderful, I know that. You watched how I was made in secret, how I was formed in the darkness of the womb [2]. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was written in your book. Every moment was certain before the first day began ”Psalm 139: 13-16

I want to keep growing in seeing myself with God’s eyes. I am a beloved daughter of God, made unique and valuable and I want to live more in this identity. Because living without masks brings freedom, transforms distance into proximity, is real and honest. And in addition to God, there will certainly be people who appreciate this openness and honesty and who understand and love me, not because I wear a mask, but precisely because I took it off.

And in the same way I want to meet others and create space for real encounters, where masks can fall and the other can be as he is, feels valued and accepted. So that the real self can appear under the mask.

A person sees what is in front of their eyes; but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16.7

The power of words

Lesedauer 4 Minuten

”Before you speak, let your words go through 3 gates: are they true? Are they necessary? Are you friendly? ”

What we say has a big impact. Our words and the words we hear from others affect our lives.

Words can:

build up or put down
encourage or scare
heal or hurt
bless or curse
We often underestimate the impact and power of our words. That is why it is so important to pay attention to what we say about ourselves, what we say to others or about them and what we say about our circumstances.


In Proverbs 18 verse 21 we read: “Words have power: you can choose between life and death


We all need words of encouragement, acceptance, confirmation, recognition. Such words make us grow and increase our self-esteem. Negative, criticizing words do the opposite, our self-esteem drops. If primarily deficits are addressed and searched for in kindergarten and school age, we cannot develop according to our potential. Negative beliefs block us. Our social system is largely programmed for the negative and faulty. Even in conflict situations, it is easy for us to make quick judgments, make accusations, and insult our counterparts.
When I read the account of creation in Genesis 1: 1-25 last week, the power of words, especially God’s word, was brought to my attention. It is written there that the whole creation (cosmos, earth, plants, animals and people) was created by God’s Word. We read a total of 6 times:

God spoke
And it happened
And god saw, that it was good


God speaks and it happens and what God creates is good.



“What God says is true and reliable” Proverbs 3.5


“God has promised her, and what God says will happen!” Luke 1:3


Only one word from God’s mouth can do great things.

“In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. He created everything that is. There is nothing that the Word has not created. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to all people ”John 1: 1-4


God’s Word is truth and when we say it about our lives, about our fellow human beings and about our circumstances it has the power to build, encourage, heal and bless us.

Lord, I am not worthy for you to go under my roof, but speak only one word, so my soul will be healed (Matthew 8: 8)

Since we were created in the image of God, our words also have strength. So let’s say positive, encouraging and true words.
Let us encourage!
Let’s use life-giving words!
Let’s give each other value and dignity!
Let us meet each other in love and mercy!
Let’s give out compliments more often!
In conflict situations we pay attention to our choice of words, it makes a difference how we say something!
Instead of wanting to change others, we start with ourselves by encouraging instead of criticizing!

What the Bible says about words:



James 1, 19
Remember, dear brothers and sisters: always be ready to listen to someone right away; but think carefully before you speak yourself.

1 Corinthians 1, 10
Speak so that your words do not upset you, and do not let divisions arise between you.

Matthew 6, 7-8
When praying, you should not string together empty words like the pagans, ‘who do not know God’. They think they will be heard if they say a lot of words. Don’t do it like her, because your father knows what you need, even before you ask him to.

Ephesians 4:29
No bad word can come from your lips. Rather, what you say should be good, reasonable, and helpful; then your words will do good to those to whom they are addressed.

Ephesians 5, 3
You shouldn’t even engage in words with sexual immorality and shamelessness of any kind, but also with greed, because it is not appropriate for God’s holy people to deal with such things.

Colossians 4, 6
Your words should always be kind and flavored with the salt of ‘wisdom’. Then you will also understand how to give an appropriate answer to everyone who is talking to you.

James 3, 2-12
[…] We are often often and in many respects indebted, but mostly with what we say. […] If we put the bridle in a horse’s mouth, we make the whole animal compliant and can steer it the way we want it. Or think of a ship: as big as it is and as strong as the winds to which it is exposed, it is kept on the course by a tiny oar that the helmsman determines. It is the same with the tongue: it is only a small organ in our body and can nevertheless boast of accomplishing great things. […] no one can control the tongue. She is a constant source of trouble, a mischief-maker, filled with deadly poison. With her we praise the one who is our Lord and Father, and with her we curse people who are created in the image of God. Blessings and curse come from the same mouth. That, my siblings, must not be! […]



Proverbs 11, 12-13
Those who speak contemptuously of others have no mind; Understanders shut up. A person who carries on any rumor also speaks secrets; a trustworthy person treats them confidentially.

Proverbs 12, 18
Some people’s words are like knife sticks; the words of wise people bring healing.

Proverbs 13, 3
Those who can shut up keep their lives; whoever tears it open too much leads to ruin.

Proverbs 14, 23
Every job brings wages; but chatter is only a disadvantage.

Proverbs 15, 1 & 26
A conciliatory answer cools the anger, a hurtful word fuels it.

The Lord detests evil plans, but kind words are right before him.

Proverbs 16, 24
Friendly words are like honey: sweet for the palate and healthy for the whole body.

Proverbs 18, 20-21
What someone achieves with his words determines his satisfaction. The tongue has power over life and death. If you enjoy the language, you can achieve a lot through it.

Proverbs 20, 15
There are tons of gold and precious stones, but insightful words are a rarity.

Protect your heart

Lesedauer 4 Minuten

Pay attention to your thoughts, because they become feelings.
Pay attention to your feelings because they become words.
Watch your words, because they are turning to actions.
Watch your actions, because they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. (Chinese proverb)

The heart is the seat of our deepest inner being, emotions, personality and will. The Bible mentions several times how important it is to protect, keep our hearts clean. Our current state of mind is reflected in our hearts, what we think, what we feel, what we want.

“How are you?” – “How are you feeling?” Are questions that we often hear, but mostly superficially answer with “Fine, thank you!” But how are we really doing? Are we sad, angry, anxious, angry, offended, happy, tired, excited, relaxed, calm, etc., or are we currently in a chaos of emotions, an emotional alternation?

What thoughts are we dealing with? What do we think about ourselves, about our fellow human beings, about our situations and circumstances?

Is what we think and feel consistent with the truth? Can we always trust our thoughts and feelings?

God created us with feelings and they also have important tasks. Feelings make us alive, create closeness to our fellow human beings by empathizing and empathizing with others, they can motivate and inspire us and let us feel alife. In addition to positive feelings, there are also negative feelings that can drain, depress and depress us. It can happen that we feel depressed and weak and often don’t really know why. It is therefore important to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings, as these affect our lives. Negative feelings arise from negative or wrong thoughts that we have previously let into our hearts. Therefore it does not help to suppress them, it is better to accept these feelings and to observe which sources they have.

Last week I wrote about how we become a new person through Christ, acquire a new identity. If we accept His love, we become children of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. As children of God, we no longer need to let our feelings determine us, but we are guided by the Holy Spirit and live by faith.

God’s Word is truer than all my feelings.
God’s Word is truer than all my experiences.
God’s Word is truer than any living conditions I may get into.
God’s Word is truer than anything in the world.

Because our feelings can deceive and mislead us. They are volatile, changeable, they come and go. Our feelings are often not true. Feelings are not a good guide. They depend on many factors and external circumstances. The weather, poor nutrition, too little sleep, the behavior of other people can influence our emotional state. We can also be trapped in life lies that we believe. So we have to choose to do the right thing no matter how we feel.

Jesus also had feelings. He was angry when the merchants gathered in the temple and made his prayer house a robber’s cave. He was angry when he spoke to the Pharisees and scribes who lived in law. He was sad when his friend Lazarus died and disappointed with the unbelief of his successors. When his pioneer John the Baptist was beheaded, it hit Jesus in the heart. In the garden of Gethsemane, shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus was afraid and grieved to death. We can only guess how Jesus must have felt when he was slandered by Peter and betrayed by Judas. In all of this, he always looked at his Heavenly Father and enjoyed communion with God. Early in the morning, he went up the mountain alone to pray. When the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, he was joyful. He exulted in the spirit. He found joy in the presence of God. He enjoyed serving people and fulfilling his mission.

If Jesus had always relied on his feeling, he would not have been able to carry out God’s plan, but since he was guided by the Spirit of God and looked at the will of the Father, he could make the right decisions.

“Father, if you want, take this cup from me; but not mine, but your will be done! ”Luke 22:42


We feel best when our thoughts agree with God’s will, when we test our thoughts against the Word of God.


“But if he comes, the spirit of truth, he will lead you into all the truth” John 16:13

“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, kindness, faith, meekness, chastity”


The Holy Spirit gives faith and heals the emotional world. We are happy about things that make God happy and we are sad about everything that makes God sad.

Contrary to our feelings, God’s Word is constant. We can always rely on that.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“… but the word of the Lord remains forever.” Matthew 24:35

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah 40: 8


God’s truth never changes. We can choose to speak God’s thoughts about our life, our fellow human beings and our circumstances and to believe and trust His promises more than our feelings.



“For I know well what thoughts I have about you, saith the Lord: thoughts of peace and not of suffering that I may give you future and hope.”

We can allow our thoughts and feelings, identify them, bring them to God and live them out according to his will. God knows our heart and every thought.

“Explore me, God, and recognize my heart, test me and recognize my thoughts.
Show me if I am going wrong and lead me to eternal life. ”Psalm 139: 23-24

“Your instructions are my darling, they fill my heart with joy. I am determined to keep your orders until the end of my life. ”Psalm 119,111-112

“You should take your old life off like old clothes. Do not follow your passions that mislead you and destroy you. Let yourself change in your thinking and realign yourself internally. Attracts new life as you put on new clothes. You have now become new people, whom God himself created in his image. Let everyone know that you now belong to God and live the way you like it ”Ephesians 4: 22-24

Faith is not a feeling, but a decision.

“But faith is a firm confidence in what one hopes and no doubting in what one does not see” Hebrews 11: 1

We don’t have to follow our feelings, our feelings have to follow our beliefs.

Rely on the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your understanding, but remember him in all your ways, he will guide you properly. ”Proverbs 3: 5-6

“And the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, will keep your heart and your thoughts in Christ Jesus!” Philippians 4: 7

A new creation

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

Getting rid of the past is not that easy. Each of us is influenced by our past. Experiences that we have made influence our behavior. We develop thought patterns and habits, both positive and negative. If the past catches up with us again and again, it can also be an enormous burden because it prevents us from living in the present and thinking our future. But how can we be free?

We read several times in the Bible that Jesus wants to free us and give us new life.

“But that means that whoever lives with Christ becomes a new person. He is no longer the same because his old life is over. A new life has begun! ”2 Corinthians 5:17

“Do not think of the past and do not pay attention to the previous! Because look, I want to create a new one, now it grows up, don’t you recognize it? I make a path in the desert and water flows in the wasteland. “Isaiah 43: 18-19

But how can that be, how can Jesus make us a new person from one moment to the next, erase the past?

I thought about it and reflected on how Jesus acted in my life. When I met Jesus, believed him and decided to live with him, I was freed from anxiety overnight and I can say that fear no longer affects my life today. In other areas of my life, I am in a process of change and learning, where I gradually let go of old thought structures that are not doing me good and let my thoughts be renewed by God.

“Let yourself change in your thinking and realign yourself internally. Put on new life as you put on new clothes ”Ephesians 4: 23–24

The renewal of our thoughts does not happen overnight, it is a lifelong process. I keep noticing that I fall back into old thought patterns that I have built up over the years. Step by step together with Jesus, I can collapse these walls of thought and choose God’s thoughts every day, express his good thoughts about my life.

With the decision for Christ I get a new identity. I am a child of God and his holy spirit dwells in me. I am spiritually a new person, washed clean before God. The Bible speaks of rebirth.

“Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you: If someone is not born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3: 3

“Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who after His great mercy reborn us to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

“For everything that is born of God overcomes the world; and our faith is the victory that has overcome the world. ”1 John 5: 4

Because you are born again not from transitory, but from imperishable seed, namely from the living Word of God that remains there. 1. Peter 1,23

What is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the spirit is spirit. John 3.6

So with Christ we are a new person and yet there is also our old person, our past and character, our old nature, who wants to influence our thoughts.

I like the verse in the letter to the Ephesians, which says that we should put on new life like new clothes. When we buy new clothes and hang them in our closet, we must decide what to wear every day. We can choose: Do we take an old dress or the new one? How difficult we often find it to dispose of our old clothes. And so it is also up to us to become aware of our new identity every day, to choose the new life that Christ has given us and to let go of the old one. The new life is a gift that we can accept.

When we choose new life, Jesus gives us a different perspective and strategies for how we can deal with our past. It changes our perspective. He can let work to our best everything that has happened to us in life, including the negative things , and in retrospect we recognize how bad experiences have made us grow and mature and what we have learned from them.

We know, however, that for those who love God, all things serve the best ”Romans 8:28

In this way we can reconcile ourselves with a difficult past, forgive ourselves and others and use the present to fill us with God’s thoughts and love, to look at his truths and promises and to entrust our future to his care.

Refuel in god´s presence

Lesedauer 2 Minuten

Last Wednesday I wrote about the importance of goals in life, keeping your eyes on the goal and approaching it. In order to achieve our goal, we must not forget one thing: stop and refuel again and again, otherwise we will stop halfway. If we are traveling by car and want to reach our holiday destination, for example, we need a full tank and if the warning light comes on that we are on reserve, we have to fill up.
There are times in which i am driving with my reserve tank. If I want to achieve my goal through actionism by doing as much as possible, I notice how my batteries are draining, I feel tired and weak and I can’t get any further.
An athlete, for example, cannot constantly train hard, also needs breaks and regeneration, rest and a healthy diet so that his body can replenish nutrients.
Fatigue, lack of strength, lack of joy, depressed mood are warning signals for me and a sign that I am running on the back burner and that I have forgotten the most important thing: refuel.
Even in spiritual life there is a danger that we want to achieve our goals through as much effort and effort as possible and forget that it is primarily about our being and our relationship with God.
That is why our petrol stations are so important in life. Our petrol stations are stops that rebuild us and give us new energy.
What are your stations?
A good conversation
An encounter with friends
enough sleep
Move
healthy eating
music
nature
God has given us an oasis to refuel, which is there for all situations and for all people: in Psalm 36 we find it:


With you is the source of life and in your light we see the light. Psalm 36:10
With God I can refuel, rest in his presence and be filled.

There are always smaller or larger dry spells in life. Jesus offers me to come to him with my thirst, he gives me this water for free. I need this water of life not only in emergency situations, but every day in the smallest challenges of everyday life, because I am not perfect and I always do everything right. Jesus knows me with all my mistakes and weaknesses. He knows everything and in all of this gives me his unconditional love.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said:

Come all to me who are tired and bear heavy burdens, I will give you rest.
John 4:14

But whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty forever, but the water that I will give him will become in him a source of water that swells in eternal life


If we live from his strength and do not rely solely on our strength, he will lead us to the goal.


“He will bring you to your destination, give you strength and strength and ensure that you stand firm and secure” 1 Peter 5:10


Time with God, in his presence, reading the Bible – his word, renews our thoughts, gives us strength, strength, calm, peace and joy. Just as the battery is recharged every day for a cell phone, we can also recharge our batteries, recharge our batteries and let ourselves be fulfilled every day from our relationship with God.

Goals

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

Having goals is important. In life we ​​always set ourselves new goals, big and small. Graduation, job, starting a family, sporting goals, building a house or apartment – buying – renting, climbing a mountain, eating healthy, etc. No matter what it is to set goals in all areas of our life gives us orientation and direction. Where do I want to go? What do I want to achieve? The goal is the guide. Focusing on a goal helps me not to be distracted, to stay tuned and to do everything possible to achieve it.

Above all, it motivates me to have a goal in view, because then I know exactly why I’m doing something. If a student has set the goal of learning a certain profession, he knows why he has to go to school and learn every day. If a runner has set himself the goal of running a marathon, he knows why he has to train hard. If I aim to be fit and in shape, I know why I should change my diet and move.

A clear goal in mind helps us to walk the path. This makes it easier for us to overcome difficulties and obstacles, our motivation is greater, we act in a goal-oriented manner. Desires and dreams increase our joy of life, aimlessness often leads to dissatisfaction.

In addition to the worldly goals that man sets, there is, however, a higher goal, an imperishable goal. God the Father, our Creator gives us this goal. Every person is created by God and has a purpose given by God, a specific purpose. God created us in his likeness and God is essentially a relationship. God is father, son and holy spirit, related to each other. This is how people are made for relationships.

“Even before the creation of the world in Christ, God made us out of love to be holy before him and freed us from guilt. From the beginning it was his unchanging plan to receive us through Jesus Christ as his children, and he had great joy in this decision ”Ephesians 1: 4

The goal is fellowship with God, that’s why we are in the world. Sin caused separation from God. Sin also means missing the target. Man turned from God and went his own way, pursued his own goals instead of living in his God-given destiny. Through Jesus, who accepted sin for us humans and paid for it with death on the cross, everyone has the opportunity to reconcile with God and to go towards the goal of communion with God. Paul describes this goal in the Philippians:

“It is clear to me that I have still not achieved all of this and that I am still not there. But I do everything I can to take it because I am touched by Jesus Christ. As I said, my dear brothers and sisters, I know exactly: I have not yet reached my goal. But one thing is certain: I want to forget what’s behind me and just look at the goal in front of me. I run with all my strength to win the victory price, life in God’s glory. Because God called us to do this through Jesus Christ. ”Philippians 3,12-14

God gave Paul a new goal in his life: a life in the loving presence of God. This allowed him to realign his life and live for the glory of God.

” With (Jesus) Christ the goal that the law is about has been reached: everyone who believes in him is declared righteous. “(The Bible, Romans 10: 4)

And so I can set my priorities again and again. Stop and realign my goals. Where do I want to go, what do I orientate myself to? Keep my eyes on Jesus and take off everything that would distract me from my goal. In the determination and for the goal to live for which I was created, my heart fills with an inner joy that nobody can take from me and that is not dependent on external circumstances,

“Always rejoice that you belong to the Lord. And once again I want to say it: rejoice! “Philippians 4: 4

and with a peace that the world does not know.

“God’s peace, which exceeds all our understanding, will keep your hearts and minds because you are connected with Jesus Christ” Philippians 4: 7

God writes straight on crooked lines

Lesedauer 7 Minuten

We know, however, that for those who love God, all things serve the best, those who are called after His decision are Romans 8:28


Especially in difficult situations, we often do not know what God’s plan for our life looks like. We don’t understand the why or the how, but we can know that it guides us. We can trust that God knows the situation and sees the whole. We only see the small part we are in. God sees further and has an overview.

Corrie ten Boom: “Our life is like a huge carpet. He is constantly woven and worked on. Colors and threads are put together in a pattern. However, the problem is that we only see this carpet from the back. And he doesn’t look good there. The colors often do not match, the pattern does not seem to be right, there are some knots and threads hang everywhere. A carpet from the back: Nobody would put such a copy in the apartment.
Up to our death limit, we can only see our carpet of life from the back. But then, in the light of eternity, it becomes visible in reverse. And suddenly it falls from our eyes like scales: it is a colorful, wonderfully sensible pattern. The back may have confused us so much. All of a sudden, we have a whole that makes sense. “

For those who love God, all things work for the good. I think loving God means turning around, coming into his presence, trusting him, being guided by him, living in connection with him. Faith is about a relationship with God. That’s why we were created, fellowship with God is our core destiny. We can love God because He loved us first. His love is shown in Jesus, who accepted our guilt and gave us forgiveness by grace and reconciled with God. If we accept this gift for ourselves, we will love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength.

Without experiencing his love, our faith becomes a religion. Then it is only a matter of complying with commandments and rules in order to work out the love of God.

We cannot do this encounter with God ourselves, but we can search for it and ask for it and take time in everyday life to come into his presence.

If you look for me, you will find me; yes, if you earnestly and wholeheartedly ask for me, I will let you find me, ‘says Jeremiah 29, 13-14

I can only bend my knees before God, the Father, the Father of everything that is in heaven and on earth. I pray that he gives you the strength from his great wealth to become strong internally through his spirit. And I pray that Christ lives more and more in your hearts through faith and that you are firmly rooted in the love of God. So you can see the full extent of his love with all believers. And you can also see the love that Christ has for us; a love that is greater than you will ever understand (Ephesians 3: 14-19)

  Everyone has their own opportunities and experiences, which helps them to focus on God.

For me, faith has nothing to do with observing rules, cultivating religious traditions and duties, rather it is a relationship with God, the father. I am not dealing with a god you who looks down on me far away in heaven or whom I attend once a week in worship. I have experienced him as a living God who lives in my heart and is with me every day, in every everyday situation. A God who loves me unconditionally, who healed me and freed me from all guilt.

Every relationship needs care and nourishment in order to survive. It is no different in the relationship with God. Every day I make new decisions to live the relationship and to grow in it. I would like to share some points with you that help me to nurture and strengthen my faith.

For me, faith has nothing to do with observing rules, cultivating religious traditions and duties, rather it is a relationship with God, the father. I am not dealing with a god you who looks down on me far away in heaven or whom I attend once a week in worship. I have experienced him as a living God who lives in my heart and is with me every day, in every everyday situation. A God who loves me unconditionally, who healed me and freed me from all guilt.

Every relationship needs care and nourishment in order to survive. It is no different in the relationship with God. Every day I make new decisions to live the relationship and to grow in it. I would like to share some points with you that help me to nurture and strengthen my faith.

Quiet time with God and prayer: I take a certain amount of time a day in which I can be undisturbed and read the Bible and pray. God speaks to me through his word and fills my thoughts with love and truth.

“For just as the rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but moisturize the earth and make it fertile and let it grow that it sows seeds and eat bread, so the word that comes from my mouth should also be: it will not come back to me empty, but will do what I like and he will succeed in what I send it to. Because you should move out in joy and be guided in peace ”. Isaiah 55.10
Walks with Jesus:

I particularly experience the presence of God in nature and creation. I am amazed at the diversity and beauty that God has created and come to rest. Creation testifies to the glory of God.

Praise: Praise is a very good opportunity for me to come into the presence of God. Praise is more than just music. Praise is communication with God. I praise and praise God for what he is and what he has done for us humans. I look away from worries and everyday life and turn to the glory and greatness of God. I adore.

My lips and my soul that you redeemed
should be happy and sing praises to you. Psalm 63, 4-5
Worship: Worship is important to me to receive teaching, but above all because of the community and the exchange with my brothers and sisters. The house circles, attending Christian events, women’s day weekends are always very constructive.

Because where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the middle of them. Matth. 18.20
Gratitude: To be thankful in every situation, to see the good even in difficult situations, helps me to keep the peace. There is always something I can be thankful for, even if what I might wish for does not always happen. What helps me is a prayer diary, in which I write down answers to prayer and experiences with God. So I still remember many things later that I would otherwise forget.

“Praise the LORD my soul, and what is in me, his holy name! Praise the LORD, my soul, and do not forget what he has done you good ”Psalm 103, 1-2
Serve, do good:
Giving is better than taking. ”(Acts 20:35)
If I can help someone with my money or the time I invest, it makes me happier and happier myself. If I can get involved in the community in what I enjoy, I benefit myself and keep learning.

Like a woven carpet (poem by Astrid v. Knebel Doeberitz):
Like a big carpet
this is how God the Father weaves my life.
Light and dark colors are in it
I ask for the meaning of some of the events. Sad, happy – joy and sorrow,
everything is there in His time.
I only see piecework, woven threads from below,
Corrie ten Boom felt that way years ago, comparing carpet and life, it doesn’t let me go,
I think it’s awesome, just great.
A rug from the bottom, it looks tangled
but God looks from above and makes good of it. One day we will see
why we just had to do it. Our thoughts can hardly believe
what God came up with for us.
So I confidently give my life in his hand,
he knows best what he wants to give. We will mature through need and difficulties,
not through human security.
For gratifying things, I can be all the more grateful
I am never alone in life, so when we can see his work from above,
it will be wonderful and not to be despised.
Every carpet is unique, incomparably beautiful –
it will consist of light and dark threads.
Then we will understand
why we had to do this right now so I don’t want to rely on myself anymore
but trust God’s love completely in Jesus Christ.
If I consider:
He himself gives us the greatest gift. All worries have passed in the glory of God
because eternity with him then started.

Without exception, everything works for the good: the bullying at work, the broken vase, the misplaced car key, the unexpectedly serious illness or the friendly help of our neighbor. Whatever we encounter. Amidst all human aberrations and errors, God has a plan, a good plan.

You can understand life backwards; but you have to live it forward.
We want to trust this truth and say about our life:

You are good and do good ”(Ps 119.68)


Examples from the Old Testament:
Source: www.bibelstudium.de

Joseph

Joseph was sold to Egypt by his brothers. There he became the second most powerful man, who years later also provided for his hungry brothers with care and a place to stay. When Jakob’s father died, the brothers feared that Joseph could take revenge. But Joseph said to them: “You had evil against me in mind; But God had in mind to do it well so that he would do as it is on that day to keep a great people alive ”(Gen. 50:20, 21). Joseph did not see the sin of his brothers, but thought of God’s good hand that worked behind everything. That gave him inner peace and strength to do good.

Job

When God gave Job to Himself and Satan’s hands, Job had very difficult hours (Job 1:12; 2: 6). Did he now complain that the devil had destroyed his life? No, he cried: “The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken, the name of the Lord is praised!” (Job 1:21). And he said to his wife: “We should accept the good from God, and should we not also accept the evil?” (Job 2:10). Job became aware that everything that had hit him had “passed” God himself. So at that moment he was able to praise God even in the greatest need.

Esther

The Book of Esther is the only Bible book in which God is not mentioned. But it is precisely there that it becomes clear how God works in secret. Unbelief sees a chain of coincidences in the history of the book of Esther, but the believer knows that God does everything for the good of his people: Vasti’s rejection and Esther’s election as wife of Ahasverus (Est 1 – 2); Mordokai’s discovery of an intrigue against the monarch (Est 2); Los Hamans, which “terminated” the annihilation of the Jews late in the year (Est 3); the great favor that Esther gained before the king (Est 4 – 5); the appropriate reading when the king could not sleep with Esther before the decisive second banquet (Est 6); the appearance of the proud Haman the next day (Est 6) … How the story went on is known. Evil Haman had to honor Mordokai and ended up hanging on the gallows that he had raised for Mordokai. Mordokai came in honor and the people of the Jews were given light and joy and bliss and honor. We can be sure that Mordokai and Esther saw God behind everything and thanked him with all their hearts.