I was recently watching the movie ‘Back to the future’ – again!

Having travelled back in time, there’s a big part of the story where Marty is trying to help ‘McFly’, his future dad, to become a real man and stand up to ‘Biff’, a guy who keeps bullying him. Eventually his dad is faced with a show down where he can choose to stand up or walk away in fear.

He remembers Marty’s words to him and plucks up the courage to land a left hook which sends his bully to the ground and wins him the woman of his dreams.

As I reflected on the scene I was struck by how we sometimes need someone to inspire or provoke us to take courage. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will directly be ‘the helper’ we need to take courage, other times he will send someone to help us. And they become the instrument of provoking us to take courage and defeat fear.

At the same time God will sometimes ask us to be the channel of helping others to find courage in the midst of the roar of fear.

This year I pray we may increasingly be available to one another, to give strength and encouragement to those who have allowed fear to paralyse them. And in doing so may we experience an army of courageous sons and daughters rising up to take risks and walk in their destiny.

Thank you!

There’s something powerful about those two words.

They express a heart that lives with a posture of gratitude. It’s the kind of heart that God loves and is attracted to.

In Luke 17 we read the story of 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus but find that only one came back to say ‘thank you’. What’s interesting and instructive is that he received an extra blessing.

God apparently loves to see and hear our thanks.

There are so many things we can complain or moan about but thankfulness shifts our heart and mind into a place of gratitude for what we have instead of grumbling about we don’t have.

Let’s choose to grow our gratitude this year and anchor our hearts and minds into the goodness of God and every blessing he has already poured out upon us.

Thank you!