January 30: There Is No Love Without Justice And No Justice Without Love

Affirmation: Peace and happiness are inside me.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Ponder and Personalize: As you are memorizing these two verses, focus on the reason why we are told to meditate on God’s word. “…so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

How can you personalize this directive and promise?

Joshua 1:8-9

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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Catching Whimsy: 365 days of Possibility by Bob Goff

                     Jan 30

There Is No Love Without Justice And No Justice Without Love 
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23
We have all had someone who has disapproved of us. I remember the first witch doctor case I was going to take to trial in Uganda, which was a death-penalty case against a man who had attempted to sacrifice a child. Human sacrifice involving children was a practice common in the country, but no one had ever taken on a perpetrator before because they thought the witch doctors would put a curse on them. But these were innocent children, I was a lawyer, and not taking action was not an option. As I was preparing to leave for Africa, a leader in a faith community said, “You know what? I just don’t approve of what you’re doing.”

At first, I felt like a gut punch, but as I thought about it more, I realized I was not looking for this person‘s approval; I wanted to make a difference.

I remember writing myself these words that night: “There is no love without justice and no justice without love.”

Certainly, good counsel for your life, but don’t get head-faked by what the peanut gallery has to say. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and do the things He said to do. And if you’re trying to figure out if this is something God wants you to do, take the apostle Paul’s advice: check everything you do against scripture. You will always find that Jesus wants you to love people extravagantly, extensively, decisively, and exhaustively.

Whatever it is, God has made you good at, do it with gusto like you’re serving the Lord. He has given us approval to do beautiful, lasting, and sometimes unlikely things. We can stop asking everyone else for permission.

Look for God‘s approval today, not everyone else’s agreement.