We carry much shame with us in our lives. We're ashamed of our past, our actions, our mistakes. If guilt is the recognition of our sin, shame is the emotion and feeling that comes with it. We are ashamed of who we are, what we've done, and this shame drives us to separate ourselves from others, and even from God. Jesus does not let us be ashamed. Rather he takes on shame for us. He becomes the one who is shamed, that he might give us honor. Jesus invites in the one who is most shameful, that he may give them the seat and place of honor at his table. Jesus takes away our shame, by going to the cross, welcoming us into his family, and giving us the honor that he deserves.

Compared to the strength of the spiritual powers of evil in this world, we are weak. We are vulnerable to the temptations and oppression of the devil and his demons. We are powerless against sin in this world. We are captive to these things, let alone the earthly powers of this world that can harm us. We cannot protect or save ourselves. But Jesus is more powerful than all these things in this world. Jesus is stronger than that which we believe to be strong and powerful in this world. He saves us from our captivity to the darkness of this world, and he has power over Satan and all evil in this world. While we are at the mercy of the devil and evil in this world, Jesus is stronger, he is on our side, and his promises are bigger than the darkness of this world.

In our Western world, we often seek to maintain our innocence. We try to keep our hands clean. We stay out of trouble so that we can remain innocent. Yet, we all do things that we regret. We all have made mistakes. We are all guilty of sin. Even though we are and still live as sinners, we know we have forgiveness in Jesus. Our sin has been washed away in our baptism. The record of sin against us has been nailed to the cross, where it has been put to death, so that we may live freely without sin! In Jesus and his work on the cross, we have been forgiven of our sin, that we may live freely, without the guilt of our trespasses.

The last stage of life is one that we fail to look forward to, and that we often dread. We devalue the elderly and old in our world today, rather than valuing their worth, wisdom, and wellbeing. This is stage where we look back on our lives, reflect, have regrets, and begin to become isolated from the people and things that we love. Rather than enjoying this time and finding fulfillment in it, we fear, dread, and despise it. The reflection stage of life is one that we don't have to dread, but one we can embrace. In this stage, there is still opportunity to serve, wisdom to give, and work to do. There's a lot to look forward to as well. We know what the destination is. It's life with Jesus. We can leave a legacy of faith and a good witness for those who come after us, by embracing this stage, trusting in his promises. As we approach the destination on the road, we do so well, cherishing what we have, serving those we love, and looking forward to life with Jesus.

Life doesn't always go how we plan. Often, the worst possible things seem to happen at the worst possible times. Sometimes, we wake up and we question everything that we've done and that we've worked towards. We ask, "How did I get here? Is this really what I want? What if I had done this or that?" We hit a crisis, a crossroads, and we don't know what to do next. Regardless of whatever crisis you may face, Jesus remains the same. God's word and truth remain the same. If you build upon and rely on him, you can trust in his plan and his purpose for your life. If you build on your plans, goals, desires, etc., you'll eventually reach some kind of crisis, and things will crumble. But if we find our foundation upon the rock of Jesus and his promises, he will support us through anything. In our moments and seasons of crisis, we remember Jesus has brought us this far, he's with us every step of the way, his promises will crumble.

You have to reach the next level. You want to move up the ladder. You need to get that raise for your family to achieve their goals. You're behind on your life plan and you need to move up, or find a place you can move up. That new house with the pool is calling your name. If you can resonate with that, you're in the achieving stage of your life, and you are striving for the next best thing to reach your goals. Yet, often we can lose sight of the life God intends for us. In the middle of your striving, remember what God says about you. That he calls you to himself. That you matter, even if you don't hit your quota. Even if you're not where you want to be, God is using you for his purposes, which are greater than your goals. You can rest in God, because in Jesus, you have all that you could ever need. In the midst of your striving, God calls you to keep your goals in perspective, to remember who you are serving, and to rest in Jesus.

Life as a young family is hard. You may have to struggle just to make it to the next mile. You're life is turned upside down. You're torn in every direction, every which way. You don't know what you're doing or what your next step is, and it feels like everything is on the line! This is the stage of life, you have to grind through. At the same time, this stage of life is a gift. It's a gift from God, and you should savor every precious second. When it feels like a grind, when it seems like you're not achieving or doing enough or that you're not good enough for your spouse, your children, your parents, or whoever, remember that you serve a good and gracious God, who sees your simple acts of service, and uses it for his glory. God calls you to a life of service, who sees your simple acts of service, and uses them to do his work in your life.

The young life is about adventure. You strike out on your own. You experience everything you can. You become independent. You get the most out of life. Yet you can also stray from your roots. You can get into trouble. You make mistakes. You can even get hurt. You can also stray away from your faith, and who God has made you to be. No matter where you go or what you do, remember your roots. Go with God's blessing by living how he has called you to as you go out on your adventure. God isn't a wet blanket, he's your loving Father, who wants to protect and care for you, by allowing you to follow his design for your life. Go, remembering who God has made you to be. Go out on the open road of life with a sense of adventure, living as God has called you to, remembering who he has made you to be.