Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 112). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Now the Him that Bob is talking about is Jesus.   Bob goes on, “When Jesus invaded history, it’s as if He stood at the front of a long line of people—everyone who has ever lived or will live. He asked all of us if we knew who we were, and He asked us who we thought He was. Some got it right and some didn’t. The same is still true today. I bet Jesus asked so many people about who they were, and who they thought He was, because there were as many people then as there are now who are confused about both. Our words say we’re one person, but our lives say we’re someone else. We do the same thing with Jesus. Some of us say He’s God and we’re following Him, but then we live like our ego is calling all the shots. “The beautiful message of Jesus is His invi

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 94). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   We really want to know, don’t we?   I mean, give me a bunch of green lights to direct me.   That’s what I want.   That’s what I need.   But is it what we really need? Bob says, “Who wouldn’t want more green lights? Yet, at some point, we need to stop waiting for permission and go live our lives. God isn’t stingy with His love, and He doesn’t delight in seeing us uncomfortable either. Perhaps we don’t get all the answers and confirmations we ask for because God loves seeing us grow.” Bob goes on, “In the same breath, though, sometimes it’s a good thing to pause. One of the writers in the Bible said to his friends that just because the door was open didn’t mean it was for him to walk through. The difference between a prudent pause and persistent par

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 87). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   There are so many people who strive to always play it safe. Bob says, “What I’ve come to learn so far about my faith is Jesus never asked anyone to play it safe. We were born to be brave. There’s a difference between playing it safe and being safe. A lot of people think playing it safe and waiting for all the answers before they move forward is the opposite of dangerous. I disagree. If our life and our identity are found in Jesus, I think we can redefine safe as staying close to Him. Don’t get me wrong. Playing it safe and waiting for assurances in our lives isn’t necessarily bad; it just isn’t faith anymore.” He goes on, “Playing it safe doesn’t move us forward or help us grow; it just finds us where we are and leaves us in the same condition it fo

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a WorldFull of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 82). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   That is so true, isn’t it? Bob says, “It’s the way we were wired from the factory. Because this is how we’re made, it’s a great idea to pick actions worth repeating. People who are turning into love do this. They adopt beautiful patterns and surrounding imagery for their lives. They fill their lives with songs, practices, and habits that communicate love, acceptance, grace, generosity, whimsy, and forgiveness. People who are becoming love repeat these actions so often they don’t even realize they’re doing it anymore. It’s just finger memory to them.” He goes on, “They don’t need anyone to clap for them. They don’t need validation for things they know are inherently right and true and beautiful. They don’t need all the accolades that come with recogni

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 74). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   So, what would you talk about? Bob says, “People do that with sports and cars and music and food. None of them keep track of how many times they talk about these things. We talk about what we love the most. People who are becoming love talk a lot more about what God’s doing than what they’re doing because they’ve stopped keeping score.” He goes on, “The next time you’re tempted to boast, just say under your breath, ‘It’s not about me.’ Say it a dozen times a day. Say it a thousand times a month. Say it when you wake up and when you go to sleep. Say it again and again: ‘It’s not about me. It’s not about me.’ Say it when you bless a meal or do something wonderful or selfless or when you help hurting people. Make it your anthem and your prayer. When we