The thought in your head that you are not good enough, no matter how hard you’ve tried. A lie, on repeat, that you can’t ever measure up or be worthy of love. Guilt that won’t subside.

The boss that never respects your time or how much has already been put on your plate on a tight deadline. A person who continues to abuse, even when ties have been cut.

What in your life is ruthless?

Some of these are mine. Some belong to my loved ones. Some are yours. There are others, too.

We all face the ruthless, that which is “without pity or compassion; cruel; merciless,” whose synonyms are “unrelenting, adamant, cruel.”

Isaiah 25:4 describes how it feels:

“the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall
and like the heat of the desert.”

Isn’t that the truth? That which is ruthlessly disrespectful, uncompassionate, and cruel in our lives feels like a tremendous force against us that we can’t flee from. It bears down on us like heat that cannot be escaped, draining us of our energy and our strength.

In Isaiah’s praise to the Lord, He describes how the Lord is our refuge. He goes on to say, in reference to the ruthless:

“You silence the uproar of foreigners;
as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is stilled.”

With just a moment of time and a compassionate thought in mind, our Lord makes cloud cover turn down the heat. He silences the storm thrashing us against the wall. He stills the ruthless. @BethanyMcIlrath
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After describing how the ruthless flourish, only to pass away and be found no more, the Lord reiterates in Psalm 37:39-40:

“The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

The Lord helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.”

What a refuge we have in Him! We never need to hide or to fight a losing battle alone, feeling like we are doomed to be left as empty heaps of nothingness.

In Christ, we endure.

The Lord is stronger, safer, and more steadfastly unchanging than any ruthless thing we face in this world. @BethanyMcIlrath
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Such sweet relief we find in the shadow of those unmovable, unshakable wings!

Despite the ruthlessness of sin, Christ wins.

{A version of this post originally appeared on First and Second blog}

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Linkup party is open! Today, my friend @BethanyMcIlrath reminds us that God is Who fights against our ruthless sorrows and enemies. He is our fortress and defense! Joins us?
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The post What is Ruthless in Your Life? {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Paul’s greeting to the church at Philippi warmly displays his godly affection for the fellow believers he was so invested in. Each expression of love in the greeting teaches us something about what it means to build one another up in Christ.

Let’s not gloss over this passage as a nicety.

Will you take it as an opportunity to examine yourself and your affection for fellow believers with me?

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi.”

–Ph 1:1

Point: Right away, Paul identifies himself and the recipients of the letter according to who they all are in Christ.

Q: Do you think of others as 'that busy, loud lady', 'the guy who never smiles' or… 'one of God’s people?'
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“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” –Ph 1:2

Point: We enter conversations with all sorts of intentions and baggage. Paul brings God’s good gifts right away instead of offloading his own stuff.

Q: Do you engage with others to extend God’s peace and grace first and foremost?

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” –Ph 1:3

Point: Every time we remember people is often a lot of times. And sometimes those remembrances are the result of grudges, suspicions, and other issues we haven’t let go of.

Q: Do you thank God for others when you think about them?

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” –Ph 1:4-5

Point: Joy accompanied Paul’s prayers for the Philippians. He was appreciative of their reaction to the Gospel and saw them as partners in faith.

Q: Do you rejoice about others’ faith, do you pray joyfully for others about their love for the Lord?

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” –Ph 1:6

Point: It’s easy to prescribe our own ideas of the work that needs to be done in others’ lives, as well as to worry about their growth. Paul trusted Christ to do the work and complete it- and he made that clear to his loved ones.
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Q: Do you speak confidently about God’s work in others’ lives? Do you trust God to work in others?

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart” – Ph 1:7

Point: Paul felt joyful, appreciative, and confident about God’s work in these people because he was deeply invested in them.

Q: Do you carry others in your heart in such a way that you are deeply invested in their faith?

“Whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.” –Ph 1:7

Point: In every circumstance, Paul recognized others as sharing in God’s grace with him. It would have been easy to withdraw or assume they couldn’t understand, making comparisons. Instead of drawing lines, Paul drew a circle of God’s grace around himself and others.

Q: Do you see others as sharing in God’s grace through your circumstances?

“God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” –Ph 1:8

Point: Paul’s longing was so sincere and so based in Christ, instead of being rooted in convenience, relational chemistry, or ancillary things held in common.

Q: Would you want God to testify about the way you have cared for others? Has that caring been Christlike?

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” –Ph 1:9-11

Point: Paul’s prayers for these beloved people weren’t focused on circumstances, wishes, or even trials. His main concern was their relationship with Christ and their progress in the faith.

Q: Are your prayers for others about them growing in and glorifying God?

LINKUP PARTY opens at 6 am EST!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP PARTY is open! Today, my friend @BethanyMcIlrath challenged me. Do I carry others in my heart in such a way that I am deeply invested in their faith? JOIN us & share your blog
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The post Questions about Loving Well {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.