Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Navigating Life
I am not perfect and I never will be. You are not perfect and you never will be. (Sorry) The only person who walked this earth who was perfect was Jesus.
I make mistakes every day. You probably make mistakes at times too.
I am not better than you. You are not better than me. The only person I strive to be better than each day is the person that I was the day before. We should all strive to improve and grow in our Christian walk. And as long as we are on this earth, God will mold us more and more to be like Jesus.
We are not here to judge one another (Matthew 7:1). Jesus is the ultimate judge (Acts 10:42).
But if we do see one another sinning, we are to steer our Christian sibling in the right direction (Matthew 18:15-20). However we should also encourage one another and build one another up with love (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
We should seek to extend grace trying to think the best of others. We are all Christians (hopefully), doing our best (hopefully).
But we still have to remember that even though we live in this world, we are not of this world (John 15:19). And we need to be careful who we associate with (Proverbs 13:20). We have to be careful what we feed our minds; and we have to allow God to transform our minds (Romans 12:2).
So what is my point with all this? It can be difficult to navigate life in this world. And I think it’s even more difficult for Christians.
I strive to be open. I strive to be loving. God has extended so much grace, mercy, and forgiveness to me. And I strive to also extend grace, mercy, and forgiveness to others. But sometimes I fall short. As I said, I am not perfect. So each day I try to do better than the day before.
We should strive to be the light of Jesus to those around us (Matthew 5:16). After all, Jesus said to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:16-20).
But it takes a delicate balance. Jesus also said that if someone doesn’t listen or welcome us, we shouldn’t stick around (Matthew 10:14). And ultimately we also have to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). We cannot allow toxic things to take residence in our minds and hearts. At times those toxic things might come from other people. So this might mean making difficult decisions in our relationships.
Ultimately, I pray that, as Christians, we can put our best foot forward. I pray we can meet one another with grace and love. I pray we can encourage one another and build each other up.
So how exactly can we navigate our lives? How can we know if we are making the right decisions, have the right friendships, are saying the right things, or are doing the right things? It all boils down to one question:
Am I honoring God?
If the answer is no, then something has to change. Am I honoring God with my words? If not, then they need to change. Am I honoring God with my actions? If not, then they need to change. Am I honoring God with my relationships? If not, then they need to change. Am I honoring God with fill in the blank? If not, then blank needs to change.
As I said earlier, we will all make mistakes. But we can start over in this very moment. Starting right here and right now we can strive to honor God with our words, actions, and relationships. If we make a mistake tomorrow, then we can pick up the pieces and start over again. God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).
Are you with me? Will you strive to honor God in all you do? Then you can’t go wrong as you navigate life.
© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
Photo courtesy of Pexels.
Bridget A. Thomas 
Really enjoyed reading this, it is a fine line between being in the world but not of it. Like the point you said about asking ourselves if we are honouring God in all that we say and do.
Blessing Bridget😊💙.
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Thank you! Due to a couple of things that happened this week, these were some things I had on my mind. I was afraid the post might not make sense. So thank you for commenting and letting me know that you enjoyed it. I pray we all can strive to honor God in our thoughts and actions. 💕
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I try everyday to do better than yesterday. It’s not easy, but God doesn’t make mistakes, so I know I can do it.
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Yes, so true! I am so glad God doesn’t give up on us, but He keeps working on us and molding us! 💙
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I’m right beside you, Bridget. I fall so short of the person I want to be but today is a new day and I will try harder today. Your message was truly meant for me as, like you, something happened this week that was unexpected and your words and your chosen scriptures have given me the strength, hope and insight to make it all quite clear! God bless you dear friend and thank you!!
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I am so glad to hear that this post was a blessing to you! Thank you so much for sharing that! God is so good to bring us just the right words at just the right time. I don’t know how anyone could doubt God and His power. It is so clear in moments like these!! Blessings and love to you too, my friend! 💚
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Wow! I love it! My Monday post is about striving too! We’re on the same wave length. I shouldn’t be surprised because we serve the same God, but it always amazes me. 😃 ❤
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That’s awesome! God is so amazing! I think sometimes He likes to make sure we really get the message, so He sends a similar word through different channels. He is always trying to talk to us, but we don’t always listen. Or at least I don’t listen as much as I can. I am trying to be better about that. God Bless you, Tina! 💕
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Yes, I agree. I think He also wants to make sure we don’t doubt, or at least when those doubts creep in He doesn’t want us to believe them. The devil is pretty convincing, but God, thankfully isn’t silent either. God Bless you too, Bridget!
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Good point! I am so thankful that the Lord gently nudges us and helps us stay on track along the way! He is the Good Shepherd!
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Yes , we all fall short, of God’s glory and so greatful for God’s grace and mercy each and every day that brings us through. In our own strength we can not do anything , but learning to listen to the leading of the holy spirit is a process. I can’t do it my own strength, but God’s grace is sufficient to carry me through to help me.
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Amen. So true. I am so very thankful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thanks for stopping by!
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It’s so comforting to know that nobody’s perfect. And if nobody’s perfect why do we spend time comparing ourselves to others? I think that knowing we’re all sinners is so helpful. We need to put more focus on Jesus and being like Him. Great post!
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Thank you, Michelle! You bring up a good point. Many of us do spend a lot of time comparing ourselves to other people, trying to measure up. But Jesus is the One and only who we should try to model. More of Him and less of me. You’re right, that IS a comfort! Thanks for this comment!
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