This is post TEN of a ten part blog – HELPFUL HINTS. Feel free to review the recent weekly submissions.

It’s been fun to share with you some “nuggets” the past two months that have blessed me over the years. I pray that some (if not all of them) have been a blessing to you. This week I wanted to give you two bonus hints along with number ten. In the last nine weeks I have shared with you REBOUND, Respect, RELATIONSHIPS, Recognize, READ, Ready, REACH, Retreat and RETURN to Sender.

The first of two free HELPFUL HINTS that I’ll leave with you as I conclude this chapter is REMEMBER. As humans we are guilty of having a short term memory. Even mature Christians resemble more of that 80’s hit “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?” than Ronnie Milsap’s: “What a DIFFERENCE you’ve made in my life.” Unfortunately, this is nothing new. What has worked well for me as a Christian maturing in Christ is take an inventory frequently of how good God has been to me.

It is helpful to remember (recall) what God has done for us both mentally and via journal. Its priceless to write things down because if you can’t constantly RECALL what He’s already done you probably won’t REMEMBER later. Satan wants you to forget and then forfeit intimacy with Him. David said: “he had to encourage himself in the Lord.” NEWSFLASH: It is not entirely your pastor’s job to encourage you at every mile marker. We need to “taste and see that the Lord is good” and allow God to feed us.

When times get tough (and they do get hard) remember how good God has been in the past. This reminds me immediately of His Presence and Promises in the Present. Secondly, He is always faithful and never failed yet and can be trusted in the future. When times get tough by REMEMBERING with an attitude of THANKSgiving has made the present storm seem not as horrific. Plus, recalling God’s faithfulness reminds me instantly that He did it not only in the past but capable of doing it again. Even better, He’s in the process of coming through!

Remembering is great but REPENTING is grand. Whenever I stumble I found it best to immediately get alone with God and ask for forgiveness and repent of any and all wrong-doing. The more we walk in guilt and not grace not only prolongs the wrong but forfeits the freedom of forgiveness. In the wise words of Dr Johnny Hunt it is priceless to “stay close and stay clean.” FACT: I am of little value to others when I am not right with God. My walk with God (vertical) makes me more effective with connecting with others (horizontal). When you view both beams it forms the cross. No greater love is found than in the cross of Christ and when I am walking in the freedom of forgiveness it allows me to be a better blessing to others day or night.

Without question, I could have touched on any number of HELPFUL HINTS to close out some spiritual secrets that served me well to serve my Savior and Society. The last one is REWARD and certainly worth mentioning. We will definitely get some rewards for serving Christ. The Apostle Paul reminded us we are in a spiritual race similar to the Olympics and we can’t win cutting corners, undermining others, shadow-boxing with the wind or running another’s race stepping into their lane. We need to run our race assigned by the Almighty to get God’s rewards.

Truth be told, nothing is wrong for otaining awards and rewards. Since elementary school I have said privately and publicly that when I arrive at the Gates of Pearl – if I find no streets of gold, celestial sea, mansions made by The Master I would not be dissapointed. If it is just Jesus sitting in a folding chair it will still be Heaven to me. Right or wrong, I didn’t get in it for the crowds but Christ. It wasn’t for my fame but His faithfulness that enlisted and encouraged me from the start in this race.

We are in a race of gRACE. In my spiritual walk I have tried to be both intentional and relational. The road at times has been long and the race has been exhausting. I have seen some mountain-top highs and some deep, dark valleys but through it all God has been faithful. I learned that folks will make fun of you for doing right and others will mock you for doing wrong. It is a fact that critics will criticize either way. Since we will be teased either way it would benefit us all if we went down lifting UP God in our lives. I have also witnessed that the folks who tease you by day often think of you with respect at night (in the interim they are just to immature or insecure to say it). REMEMBER we will stand before Christ NOT critics. My mom shared something with me that stuck in my head like a tick on blood -“Better to make the last page of newspaper for doing right than making FRONT PAGE of the local news for doing wrong.”

In closing, I love “CASTING CROWNS.” Some may not know this but they got their name from the concept when we stand before JESUS in Heaven we will gladly and voluntarily CAST those CROWNS at Jesus’ Feet. He alone is worthy to wear a crown and He is Heaven to me. Life is filled with risks but the REWARDS with the Lord are out of this world.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” – Jim Elliot (Missionary)