The best life is a God First life

Category: self-control

Take a stand, be the example

In 2026, several Hollywood elites, TV shows, and news personalities seem to believe and justify the idea that hatred, disrespect, and often foul language are now funny, even required to make their points and get attention. Of course, they would never agree with this assessment, yet their actions and words show how true it is.

HATRED IS NOT FUNNY

Hateful actions are not funny, Hateful pictures are not funny, Hateful words are not funny. Hateful videos are not funny. Laughing and sharing hateful things encourages hateful things. Stop it, please! Instead of laughing at and justifying gossip and hate, encourage kindness, make a positive difference, inspire positive change, and help remove hate from the overall equation.

We have a choice!

Don’t laugh, don’t justify, don’t encourage, change the channel, walk away, take a stand, and protect your heart and soul. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (See Philippians 4:8)  

It is what it is, but it will be what you make of it!

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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-32 ESV

Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 22:39, Ephesians 5:2, John 15:12, Jeremiah 31:3

God First!

Guard your heart from bitterness

“Without expectation of reciprocation,” for me, this is the best attitude we can have toward helping others; it’s also my definition of agape love. If we see an opportunity and jump into action and help, we should expect nothing, not even a thank you. Being able to help is reward enough.

Personally, I have found that NOT expecting any reciprocation helps me avoid the pitfalls of disappointment or frustration that Satan may stir in our minds in his efforts to encourage bitterness should I think someone owes me but is ghosting me.

Should my mind start down such a path, when I want help, and it’s not available, I remind myself, “I asked for nothing and am owed nothing,” which helps stop those thoughts from propagating. Instead, I trust God will provide if I truly need help and let those thoughts go, dismissing Satan’s attempts to inflame my mind in his efforts to jeopardize my soul..

Freely giving of myself or my means helps guard my heart against harboring any animosity if someone can’t or won’t reciprocate in kind. One thing is for sure: I have never regretted time spent helping others. It’s always a win for me; A blessing from God.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10 ESV

  • Proverbs 4:23-27
  • Hebrews 13:6
  • Matthew 6:4
  • Proverbs 28:27
  • Ephesians 4:1-16

God First!

Jesus seeds

We can plant seeds of evil or seeds of good. Some view social media as a “devil’s playground” because many abuse it. Some air their dirty laundry, some are disrespectful and hateful, some spread gossip, and the list goes on and on. I view Social media as farmland, farmland with equal opportunity to spread good seeds, good thoughts, praise, laughter, accolades, and the message of Christ.

We can just as easily spread seeds that build each other up as we can spread the seeds of Satan. We need to keep in mind that what we like, share, and say on these platforms is an extension of ourselves.

Wouldn’t you love to see social media inundated with uplifting posts, shares, and likes by good people wanting to make positive change? It starts with us.

If we’re not planting good seeds in the farmland, the seeds of weeds Satan plants will take over the land.

God is good; let’s share the goodness in all that we do!

James 3:18 – The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

  • Matthew 28:19-20
  • Mark 16:15
  • Luke 24:47
  • Ecclesiastes 11:6
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6
  • Galatians 6:9
  • Luke 8:11
  • 2 Corinthians 9:10 – God will supply and multiply your seed for sowing.
  • Hosea 10:12 – Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love.

God First!

Supplementing our faith; If you do this, you will never fall.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “supplement” as: 1 a: something that completes or makes an addition

The ESV uses the phrase “supplement our faith” in 2 Peter 1:5. Other versions use the terms

  • Support your faith
  • Give all diligence, add to your faith…
  • Add on your part all diligence

What an admirable pursuit for 2026

To pursue making our faith more complete by adding the attributes in this scripture, and bettering ourselves.

 “For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-11 ESV

God First!

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