Everything is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as loss, so that I could gain Christ.

No one is ever outside of God’s grace. Yet, there are times when we may not be fully aware of this incredible gift. It is only through God’s grace that our hearts are awakened to its presence, and in our acceptance of this gift, we can respond with sincerity: “Good morning, I am yours, God.”

One of the most beautiful promises of the Christian faith is that God does not require us to remain who we used to be. When we come to Christ, God begins a transforming work in us. We may still remember our past, but our past no longer defines our future. Paul tells us, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.” Notice he says Anyone.

There are times in life when courage does not mean that we are not afraid. What do you do when you know that you have to keep going, but you don’t feel strong enough to take another step? That’s when courage means that we refuse to allow fear to have the final word. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is moving forward because you know God is with you!