Tag Archives: confidence

They Know

“And behold, they [demons] cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

They know there is a set hour for their judgment, and that Jesus personally will carry that out. He will give them every last ounce of what they deserve. They aren’t in denial about it.

I eagerly await the day he says, “That is enough,” and they afflict us humans no more. We will never be tempted to fear, to hate, to resent, or to be prideful again. No more oppression. No sowing discord between people. No more lies. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. The last demonic deception will come and go, and that will be that.

He will unleash his wrath and torment those who tormented us.

These verses are not about the judgment of devils, but I think they’re still true about them.

Jesus is a Warrior. “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Vengeance is mine, and recompense, [says the LORD] …For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants…”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is hope at the end of all our suffering because of Jesus (if we have a personal relationship with him now)! Pain will end. Peace will never end.

As the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” celebrates:

The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, [the name of JESUS!]
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.

How To Make Tiny Changes

I have lost about eight pounds in the past two years. It’s not a big improvement, but it is an improvement.

I can’t do a crash diet, or any “diet,” really. If a change is going to last, it has to be sustainable. So I just want to encourage you, whether you’re trying to lose weight, lay down the tobacco, or become a more patient person, you can do it if you set a realistic goal you can sustain for the long term.

For me that meant instead of eating two pieces of pizza, I can get by with 1 and 3/4 and still be full enough. Instead of filling my bowl with ice cream, I can make it only 90% full, and still feel satisfied. Maybe I do that for a few months till I’m comfortable with it, and then reduce my ice cream another 5-10%, which isn’t that hard. If I’m hating every minute of it, I won’t stick with it.

So, whatever it is you’ve given up on, don’t be afraid to try again — as long as you’re setting realistic goals. And that will probably mean something really, really small. I have hated exercising in a gym forever, so when my doctor told me I need to anyways, I had to start small.

I rode the exercise bike for just five minutes a day, I didn’t try to break a sweat, and I didn’t do it every day. Because that was a goal I could actually accomplish and not get weary of doing it.

Eventually I worked my way up to six minutes, and then very slightly faster. A year and a half later, I’m up to ten minutes, and I ride fast for 30 seconds and then slow for 30. Eleven minutes is too much for me right now. Maybe I’ll feel ready for it next year, or never.

If you want to be less sedentary, maybe park at the back of the parking lot so you walk further, and only do it in nice weather. Maybe you can at least sustain that.

If you want to read more, can you read — and sustain — two pages every week?

If you want to be more confident, I’ll bet you could stall a moment before giving in instead of just laying down and taking it. You could probably say, “Hang on a second. I need to go to the bathroom,” or, “Can I call you back in a few minutes?” If you still give in, at least you’ve discovered you can say No and hold your ground for two minutes. That’s an improvement.