Focusing on God’s goodness is so important to your life because it gives you perspective on your darkest days, when you need it the most. When you forget God’s goodness, it causes all kinds of difficulties.

If you want to genuinely become a kinder person, you must be willing to be interrupted and take risks.

If you’re discouraged because of God’s delay in answering your prayers, understand the delay is not a denial. Just because the answer or the miracle hasn’t come yet doesn’t mean God isn’t going to answer—or that he’s forgotten you or doesn’t care about you. It simply means “not yet”!

Renew your mind by doing two things: Listen to God’s Word more than the world, and think about what you think about.

Whenever Jesus walks into a room, he fills that room with peace. Do you have rooms in your heart that are full of worry, upset, anxiety, or fear? Those are the rooms you haven’t invited Jesus into.

If the only time you open your Bible is when you’re in church, you likely will never discover God’s mission for your life. Instead, make the Bible a regular part of your life. Spend time with God every day, even if it’s just a few minutes. Put it in your schedule—write it on your calendar, or set a daily alert on your phone.

God has not promised that you will always feel his presence. In fact, God acknowledges that sometimes he hides his face. There are times when he appears to be missing-in-action in your life. This is a normal part of the testing and maturing of your friendship with God.

God is far more interested in changing your mind than in changing your circumstances. God wants to work on you first, because transformation won’t happen in your life until you renew your mind—until your thoughts begin to change.

You get to plan the way you want to live, but only God gives you the power and energy to experience transformation. Why? Because God provides the three things you must have to reach your goals and change your life.

Christmas isn’t always a happy time for everyone. So look for opportunities to share the love of God, because it is a time when we seem to be more open to engaging in conversation with others. Now is a great opportunity for you to bring encouragement to someone who is struggling.