“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

“Every good and perfect gift is from God.” God is the giver of all good things.

Be of good cheer, you whose prayers were not answered in the way you prayed it. Be of good cheer, you who’s life didn’t go as you planned it.

“Every good and perfect gift is from God.” God is the giver of all good things.

If your prayers were not answered in the way you prayed it, if your life didn’t pan out as you planned it, it means that God has something even better for you. If there isn’t something better for you, God would have answered your prayers the way you prayed it.

Why? Because “Every good and perfect gift is from God.” God is the giver of all good things.

Can you remember a time when God came through for you by not answering your prayers the way you prayed it?

As Garth Brooks sang, “Thank God for unanswered prayers.”

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).

A Christianity that does not change you is completely foreign to the teachings of scripture.

It is absolutely true that God loves us just the way we are. God loves us even before we confess or repent. God loves us just the way we are.

But a Christianity that saves us from sin, while allowing and even encouraging us to live in that sin is totally false teaching. Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin. Jesus did not die on the cross so we can remain in sin.

Jesus loves us so much, he cannot leave us in sin. Instead, he changes us. He transforms us.

Knowing Jesus changes us. Knowing Jesus transforms us.

On this side of eternity, we will continue to struggle with sin. And that’s exactly it. We must struggle with sin because we abhor sin. We cannot be friends with sin. We cannot be in bed with sin.

Knowing Jesus changes us. Knowing Jesus transforms us.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

There are some people who are difficult, toxic, people who drain and suck the life out of you. The way you can tell is by asking yourself, “Do I feel better after talking to this person or do I feel worse?”

Look, we all have our days. We all can be difficult. That’s not what I’m talking about. There are people who are not good for us. There are people who do not make us better people. There are people who drag us down. There are people who will make us worse.

Be wise.

If you surround yourself with people who make you worse…Lord, have mercy.

I don’t know who wrote this, but I think it’s spot on.

A bottle of water can be fifty cents at a supermarket, $3 at the gym, $6 at the movies, and $8 on a plane. Same water. Only thing that changed its value is the location…So the next time you feel your worth is nothing, maybe you’re at the wrong place with the wrong people.

Who your friends are matters. Get around people who make you a better person.

Finally, we ought to ask ourselves whether we make others better or worse.