We had some of our family over last night for a great visit. Rian wanted some coffee, so we fixed a cup with the Keurig. And it filled that whole mug up to the top.

As I looked at that mug filled with the coffee, I thought about Ephesians 5:18 which reads “be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

When we say “Yes!” to Jesus, we receive God’s Holy Spirit into our lives. And what a blessing it is to have God take up residence within us. To be filled with His Spirit is to be saturated and dominated by His presence. It means God has total access and grants righteous influence in every every of our lives. Instead of being limited to just some parts of our life, He has free rein over all parts of it.

This is not just a one time thing. It’s daily submitting to His Holy Spirit and walking in sync with Him. It’s something that makes a very real and visible difference in our life. We can feel it and others can see it.

In the name of Jesus, let’s ask God to fill all of our life today like that coffee filled all of Rian’s mug. Let’s willingly allow access and concede control of our life, in every way, to Him. And when we do, let’s know it’ll revolutionize our life from the inside out.

My friends, let’s be filled with God’s Holy Spirit!

– By David Richardson

I’ve been learning lately about red blood cells. They’re responsible for carrying oxygen throughout our body. Interestingly enough, red blood cells have a short lifespan. They only live about 120 days. That’s just 4 months.

Learning that reminded me of an important truth: How well we live matters far more than how long we live. The contribution we make is more significant than the duration we exist.

This brings to mind a powerful quote from the movie “Blade Runner” : “The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.”

Sure, we’d all like to live to a ripe, old age and enjoy a long, full life. Who wouldn’t want more time? The survival instinct within each of us is a real thing. And that’s ok.

But it’s also true: The quality of our life is a bigger deal than the quantity of it.

Red blood cells make the most of their days. They make a major contribution to the overall wellbeing of the human body. Let’s do the same with our lives. Let’s make the most of our days and make a major contribution to the overall wellbeing of the world. Let’s do something with however much time we’re given.

Make no mistake about it. It’s what we do with our life that matters far more than how long we stick around.

– By David Richardson

This photo from 2013 has been called “The Last Hug.” It was a powerful moment someone caught on camera in the Netherlands . Two maintenance workers, ages 19 and 21, were up high on top of a windmill when it somehow caught on fire. Their only escape route, a flight of stairs, was engulfed in flames. Realizing they were about to die, the two workers turned to each other and simply hugged. Shortly after that moment, the two young people lost their lives.

As I look at that photo, I am reminded of something I’ve seen with my own eyes many times: In their final moments, people tend to care more about relationships than they do about anything else. They care about their relationships with God, family, and friends. In most cases, this matters far more to them than things like politics, money, sports, or social media.

May you and I always remember that the real heart of life is sharing a meaningful bond with God and with other people. So let’s all wisely make that our top priority. Let’s love God, through Jesus Christ, and let’s love those who God has brought into our lives. Let’s intentionally invest in relationships most of all, because when the chips are down and our time is running out, that is what will matter more than anything else. We will mostly value being in the arms of God and in the arms of other people as we approach our final breath.

I was passing out a test in one of my classes. One of the kids just wasn’t paying a bit of attention to any of my directions. Not at all. Everything I said was being ignored by that one individual. Finally, when I had passed out all the tests and told the class to begin, the kid looked at me and said “I don’t have a pencil.” I stayed calm on the outside. But on the inside, my blood began to low-key boil. I just stood there for a second, looked at the kid, and said, “Well, that’s too bad. You should have been paying attention.” The kid just sat there with their head hung low while all the other kids got to work.

I leaned against the board, quietly watching my class take their test. But that one kid, without the pencil, couldn’t take the test. So that one just sat there, unable to do anything.

Then, in the quietness of the room, I started thinking about all the times I’ve needed forgiveness in my own life. I’ve failed in ways far worse than talking too much and showing up to class unprepared. At times I’ve fallen way short of what I should have been. And yet God forgave me and granted me other opportunities to live again and do better. People have also been patient with me and forgiven me when I have struggled.

So I looked at the kid who was just sitting there in shame, staring at the desk. Without saying a word, while all the other kids worked on their tests, I picked up a pencil and quietly placed it on the kid’s desk. The kid smiled and finally was able to take their test … and made a 100.

Some teachers may think I was wrong to do that. Maybe I should have just let the kid get a zero to learn the lesson. I suppose one could build a pretty convincing case for that course of action. But if I’m going to make a mistake, I’d rather err on the side of grace.

I’m at peace with what I did. How can I, who has been forgiven of so much, not forgive the next person? How can any of us?

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ Jesus forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

– By David Richardson

The other night I was eating a meal with Emerson, my son. He was telling me about a certain class he is currently taking at the university he attends. At one point he asked me if I had taken that specific class when I was at Furman University over thirty years ago. I told him I never took that class. Then he said, “It’s ok, Dad. And I promise I’m not trying to act like I’m better or know more just because I’m taking that class and you didn’t.”

I really liked that comment by my son. It made me even prouder of him. Humility and kindness were both present in his comments, and it made me feel good to see Emerson being the same great guy I’ve always known he is.

Let’s all be humble. It’s a good thing to remember that none of us are better or superior to others. No matter how educated, wealthy, or successful any of us may be, let’s never treat people like they’re beneath us. Let’s treat them as equals.

Let’s all be kind. It’s not hard to be nice to people. We can smile, listen, encourage, and bless others on a daily basis. It’s always good to remember that the other person we’re talking to definitely matters to God, and we need to treat them well.

May God help us all to do what Emerson did the other night. No matter who we are, let’s be humble and let’s be kind. God likes seeing us live that way, and people around us receive a blessing when those two qualities are in our heart.

“Humble yourselves” – James 4:10

“Love is kind” – 1 Corinthians 13:4

– By David Richardson

My wife has this motivational quote on our refrigerator. It says “The rooster may crow, but the hen delivers the goods.” What a perfect little statement!

Some people are like the rooster. They are mostly known for talking big and making noise, like a rooster crowing in the morning. Other people are like the hen. They are mostly known for quietly and consistently getting things done, like the hen laying eggs.

Each of us, ought to ask ourself this question: Do I just crow, or do I deliver the goods?

“Be doers” is what we are encouraged to do in James 1:22. What really matters is the results we get, not the promises we make. Talk is cheap. Actions matter more.

Let’s use our God-given talents and do something with our life. Let’s make a valuable contribution before our time is up on this Earth. And let’s keep in mind this truth: people will remember us by what we do instead of what we say.

Just this morning, I was in a convenience store and this lady noticed my school’s shirt I had on. She asked me if I was ready for the summer. I smiled and told her, “Sure, I’ll welcome a slower schedule for a few weeks. That’ll be nice. But the truth is, I love what I do and it’s a great place to be.”

I meant that.

If we get to do what we love, we’re fortunate. And if we get to do what we love, it doesn’t even feel like work. That’s a blessing for which we should be immensely grateful.

If you’re at a point right now where you’re doing something you don’t especially enjoy, but you have to do it for whaever reason, let me encourage you for a second: I’ve been there, and I know how that feels. But hang in there because it gets better. God sees you, and He knows what’s going on. Keep calling out to Him in prayer and trusting His process. One way or another, He will fix your situation in His perfect timing. Your current circumstances are temporary, but God’s plans are eternal. So He’s got you! Just take it one day at a time, focus on the positives, realize you’re making a difference, and believe better days are coming.

Man, it’s a joy to do what you love and love what you do.

– By David Richardson

I like to fry an egg or two for breakfast in the morning. But one thing I don’t care for is when a piece of the egg shell falls into the egg in the frying pan. I feverishly work in a hurry to get that out of there if I ever see it.

Just as egg shells don’t belong in a frying egg, hate doesn’t belong in a Christian heart.

Check out these words from 1 John 4:20 of The Message translation: “If anyone boasts ‘I love God’ and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to do both.”

That scripture has me thinking that we can’t sing “O How I Love Jesus” on Sunday and then hate on a brother or sister on Monday. It doesn’t work like that. Part of loving God is loving people. They go hand in hand. If we love people the way we should, we choose to treat them well and do what we can to make their life better.

Love is a verb. It’s something we do. Way more than a feeling.

Love is giving and forgiving. It pours blessings into the lives of others, and it pardons others with total forgiveness for the ways in which they’ve hurt us.

No, egg shells don’t belong in an egg that is frying. And hate doesn’t belong in a heart that is professing faith in Jesus. Let’s love God AND remember that we are to love others around us at the same time.

– By David Richardson

Years ago, I went to Alaska and absolutely loved it. The scenery was amazing and the people were fascinating. There was just one problem: The sun. Where we were, the sun only set for a couple of hours a day. So it was bright outside most of the time, even when we were supposed be sleeping. I struggled with that the first night I was there. But the second night, and every night after that, I slept on the floor in this big closet. It was dark and cool in there, and it was just right for me.

Sometimes we all have to at least temporarily remove ourselves from things, don’t we? Whether it’s too much

sunlight,

noise,

activity,

screen time,

food and drink,

entertainment,

debate,

negative energy,

or even people,

we’ve got to be self aware and know when to step away for a little break.

Jesus did that. To protect Himself from too much, He’d get alone for quiet time away from everything and everyone. It was just Him and His Father in peace and quiet.

We all need to guard against the “too much” in this world. So let’s do that. When we do, our body, heart, mind, and soul will be much better off because of it.

May God help us see today, and every day, when we need to just slip off and get away.

– By David Richardson