A Source of Strength and Comfort

Philippians 4:13 (NET) - I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

Every believer has at least one passage of scripture that is personally meaningful to them.

Philippians 4:13 has always been that kind of verse for me.

I have leaned on this verse through some very difficult times in my life.

At some point, I fondly began referring to it as my “go to” verse.

I have discovered that looking at this verse in this way is almost like having an insurance policy.

I find it a source of strength and comfort just knowing it is there.

Recently, I have discovered this verse to be inspirational in a different way.

As I grow older, I find that it is necessary for me to make some changes in my life.

These changes are necessary if I wish to maintain a level of quality in my life.

Human beings, myself included, tend to dislike change.

As I incorporate these changes, I reflect on this verse.

This reflection helps me make these changes permanent.

In the very near future I will be celebrating a birthday if that is God’s will for my life.

This birthday will be unique in that it will mark one more birthday than my father had.

It will also mark more than fifty more than my brother did as he died in childhood.

I consider every day to be a blessing from God and I am grateful for each of them.

As time goes by, I know there will be more changes necessary if I wish to serve Him effectively.

Whatever changes may come, Philippians 4:13 reminds me that I will be able to cope with them.

That is because I will be counting on His strength rather than my own.

It appears that I will be going to my “go to” verse more often.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 4, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 11, 2016

Criticism

The Super Bowl is over.

In spite of all the hype and emphasis placed on this game, it ended as all games usually end.

There was a winner and there was a loser.

That should be the end of it, yet something else reared its ugly head - criticism.

Criticism is one thing at which human beings seem to excel.

One player in particular seems to have garnered more than his share.

People criticized his performance.

People criticized him for his attitude after the game.

This bothers me in several ways.

First, a good many people will have forgotten that his team was even in this game a few years from now.

Second, the majority of his critics have never even played the game much less at his level

Third, there is the very real prospect that he is criticizing himself.

As others continue to criticize him this prospect becomes more certain.

Yes, human beings seem to excel at criticism.

Even people who claim to be Christians can be quite critical at times.

I recently read where the work of a Christian author has been criticized by his peers.

As we begin our journey through the season of Lent, I thought about Jesus and criticism.

People criticized Jesus throughout His ministry on earth.

Yet when Jesus encountered sinners, He did not criticize them.

He simply told them to sin no more.

Take the woman accused of adultery.

John 8:10-11 (NET) - Jesus stood up straight and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

Jesus reserved His criticism for the religious leaders and experts in the law.

In other words, He saved his criticism for those who were supposed to have known better.

Matthew 23:13 (NET) - “But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.”

And this is but one of the seven woes Jesus declared to them in this chapter.

As Christians, we need to be less critical of others.

Shouldn’t we know better?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 19, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, February 26, 2016