How much could a pair of shoelaces matter? Not much, right? Their only purpose is to hold your shoes together. Still, I think shoelaces are pretty important. Just try tying your laces too tight for a few days and see if it makes a difference! Normally that’s what I do: tie the laces as tight as possible so the shoe doesn’t slide around. The problem with that approach is that once I sit down to work for a few hours, extra blood goes to my feet and they get bigger while the shoes don’t. Since I don’t enjoy being uncomfortable like that, the other day I tried tying the laces a bit looser . . . and had a wonderful day. Shoelaces made the difference between a bad day and a good day.

There are hundreds of little things that affect us like shoelaces do. In some sense, you can decide what kind of day you’re going to have by adjusting these “shoelaces” in your life. Can you think of what they might be for you? Here are a few ideas:

• Setting aside time to pray
• Reading the Bible in the morning
• Talking to family members or coworkers
• Driving a little slower to work instead of fighting traffic
• Listening to music that encourages you

As you can see, “shoelaces” take on many forms, but they always affect the way we think and interact with the world around us. Here’s some even better news: we have the ability to affect other people as well. Actually, that’s both good news and bad news, we can affect them positively or negatively, but let’s focus on the positive ways we can affect others. Here’s a hint from the book of James: “Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!” (James 3:4-5)

What we say can change how someone feels about their day or even their life. Proverbs 15:23 reminds us that “a man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” How much could ‘a word spoken in due season’ matter? I think it could matter a great deal. The video clip embedded below is an example of that. The story is fictional, but human nature is the same. Take a few minutes to brighten up your day and get inspired about helping others with the power of a good word!

Now it’s your turn to validate somebody, because you — you are great. You have the ability to take someone’s day and make it better with only a word. You have enormous potential just waiting to be used. How about practicing on someone right now? Leave a comment on this post to let us know how it goes!

Continue reading in Part 2 of this series!

A person may not even know that they are experiencing chronic dehydration. Many have been with it for so long that it seems normal. Surely no one would like to be in this state, however I fear that we, as God’s children, live with spiritual chronic dehydration.

Chronic dehydration of the spirit is an immense danger, because it causes us to become complacent in our walk with God. We believe we’re doing fine, however we are slowly killing ourselves or causing side effects that impede spiritual progress. We are unable to act on the prompting of the spirit, and we get comfortable because things have always been this way and always will be. Eventually we cannot imagine what it’s like to have a more satisfying life — a life of spiritual hydration.

I have been attempting to get to the point where, instead of being so desensitized to my lack of spiritual hydration, I will recognize it and quench the thirst that I have In God. I want to live at a deeper level, to get out of the place I thought was normal. I want to dive into the deeper levels of spiritual renewal and depth that I’ve never known.

At times I have been thoroughly convinced that I’ve “arrived” at the level God planned for me in the spirit, but then God has opened up my eyes to see how parched I really am for Him.

This week there was a fresh opportunity to experience this. At our church, the young men have decided to gather on Saturday nights and pray. We had reached a point where we were praying and things were happening, but we were not to the point God was beckoning us to.

We could have been satisfied with where we were at. It was even an exceptional place to be for our age group. However, God gave us the grace to identify what I would classify as our spiritual dehydration. So we decided to push for that Liberty in the spirit, to bring ourselves to the threshold of the Holy of Holies. On a cold spring night, we allowed God to bring us into His very presence.

As we stepped into God’s presence on the other side of that veil, we were greeted by a presence so beautiful that I find it hard to put into words. We became lost in His presence and renewed by His blood. That’s what happens when we decide to go deeper and be willing to follow God into the unprecedented places He wants to bring us to.

It’s the same way with God and us. We by ourselves are really nothing. We’re just the shell of what we could be. We can’t energize ourselves enough. That’s God’s job. It’s only through His Word and Spirit that we can be fully energized and motivated. Without God, we’re like that lamp: dull and heavy. The lamp carries power and light wherever it goes – as long as it’s plugged in. It has the capability to use power inside of it, but can only use that power when it’s hitched up to the power source.

God wants to be our power source. We have power, authority and God’s light within us. We need to get plugged into Him and let Him take control so his power can radiate out from us. He is our light source even as we’re a light source in this life. Psalms 119:105 said it like this: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” God wants to be our light and our energy source in times of darkness.

Just like a lamp is a vessel for us to use, we are vessels for God to use. Vessels carry out specific tasks and are used when needed. We are his lamps! We need to shine in this dark world. And we can do that as long as we stay plugged in and ready to be used by him. Connect yourself daily to that energy source and he will be your light in times of darkness. I encourage you tap into that energy: life without it is too dim.

How do you connect with God? Have prayer and the Bible been lights in your life? Tell us a story in the comments section.