This day with God, let us rejoice that our heavenly Father loves us so much that He accepts us as His child and His discipline provides benefit to us. Reading in Hebrews 12:1-13, the author tells us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles by fixing our eyes on Jesus.

Let us be inspired by what Jesus did on the cross and set out each day to accept the discipline of the Father in order to gain a harvest of righteousness and peace. Discipline provides benefits to the body and mind because strength is gained to help us get through the rough spots along the way.

Many today want more than they need and spend more than they have. It brings short term happiness but in the long term these feelings can turn negative. On the other hand, building our lives around faith will smooth out those ups and downs so that we are in a more steady state of joy; not too high and not too low.

There is a benefit in obeying God’s way because He cares for us more than we care for ourselves and He understands our needs more than we do. God does not condone bad behavior but corrects us out of love. He choose love because He cares for our future so much that He gives us free will to make our own decisions towards doing the right things.

In building a sky scrapper, many people with specific skills work day by day until the structure reaches high in the sky. Day by day, little things become big things that eventually results in an amazing structure. The photo below was taken in downtown Dallas while we waited to be seated at my nieces wedding rehearsal dinner several years ago.

Building a life that makes an impact is much like building a sky scrapper as it involves a lot of planning, work, and focus. Day by day, build your life on what really matters. The Lord’s work really matters and once we start, we need to maintain focus using Jesus as our model for living.

Take a look at your daily routine. As you build your life, are there little things you could tweak or fine-tune? Go to God in prayer as you set out each day and ask for direction. Document the instructions received and constantly develop tasks that will lead to accomplishment of building a life with impact. The sky is the limit when the Holy Spirit is your architect.

This day, we are focusing on what Jesus has done on the cross. This inspires us to take on the difficulties we face with the attitude of accepting the challenge of discipline. These difficulties help us gain endurance as we build our lives with faith. Jesus is our great inspiration as we consider how He suffered for us on the cross. It moves us to endure temporary difficulty for eternal victory. Amen