Tag: love

Christian

How Do I Show My Love for Jesus?

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 2/24/26

I was reading the 14th chapter of John, and something jumped out at me because Jesus said it three times in this one chapter.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth…” John 14:15-17 NASB

“The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” (verse 21)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. The one who does not love Me does not follow My words…” (verses 23-24

That Jesus repeated this three times in this short passage tells me it is very important. That brings the question to mind: what commands?

I would say that includes everything Jesus taught us and told us to do. The red letters might be a good place to start!

In His Love, Cindy

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

You Can Make a Difference in Someone’s Life

Cindy Dawson

Over twenty years ago, I became a special education teacher. I quickly realized that I couldn’t make a difference in every student’s life. But the Lord planted in me the idea that if I could make a difference in just one student’s life, I had accomplished something wonderful.

That’s when I learned the Story of the Starfish. It made such a huge impression on me that I hung a dried starfish on my desk lamp as a reminder.

The Starfish Story – Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley

A young girl was walking along a beach where thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”

This is the same idea the Lord spoke to my heart about my blog: Don’t pay attention to numbers. Write for individual people.  If just one person is encouraged, that’s something wonderful.

Look around for your starfish – someone you can encourage, or maybe even introduce to Jesus. Now that’s something wonderful!

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Teaching Our Children Faith

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Friday, 2/20/26

There is nothing more loving you can do for your children than to instill in them a love for God’s Word and teach them to pray by your example.

“We will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
 He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
 so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
 Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands.” Psalm 78:4-7

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Do I Have Compassion?

Cindy Dawson

A Reflection for Thursday, 2/19/26

I realize that some of the sinful ways in my past were a reaction to the pain of rejection and hurt in my life. For that reason, I will not judge others. Instead, I wonder, what pain did she experience that led her down this dark path?

“When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36

 “[a]Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly]. Matthew 7:1 AMP

[a]This is not a prohibition of judgment, nor is it a command to stop using godly wisdom, common sense, and moral courage together with God’s written word to discern right from wrong, to distinguish between morality and immorality, and to judge doctrinal truth. There are many judgments that are not only legitimate, but are commanded (cf John 7:24; 1 Cor 5:5, 12; Gal 1:8, 9; 1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 10)

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

“But for the Grace of God …”

Cindy Dawson

A Reflection for Sunday, 2/15/26

A man whom I met in the unemployment office had the exact same name as me and was in rags, dirty and smelly. We were worlds apart, but God taught me about His grace.

This was the experience of my friend and brother in Christ, Alan Kearns (Devotional Treasure).

Stop and think about that for a moment. Put yourself in his place. I immediately thought of the saying, “But for the grace of God, there go I.”

Some have attributed this saying to John Bradford, who reportedly said it as he watched people being led to execution for their crimes. In other words, if it were not for God’s grace, that could be me.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

You didn’t get to pick your parents or where you were born. So the next time you see a homeless person, a prostitute, a drug addict, or a rebellious teen, remember to thank God for His glorious grace. “But for the grace of God…

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Understanding the Rich Young Ruler’s Choice

Cindy Dawson

The rich young ruler’s encounter with Jesus is not just about the love of money. There is a deeper meaning, too. 

A man ran up to Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He proceeds to tell Jesus how he has kept all the commandments. He thinks that eternal life comes to those who follow the rules, but he’s wrong.

Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. Then Jesus, standing right there, in the flesh, says, “Come, follow Me.” But the man walks away sad. He wants to hold on to his wealth and all that it gives him more than he wants Jesus.

My thoughts: Many people want eternal life, but not everyone is willing to count the cost. Like the rich young ruler, they want a salvation that requires nothing from them except to follow the rules. But that’s religion, not a relationship with God. God desires a relationship with us. That’s why Jesus told His disciples,

” It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”  And they were even more astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?”  Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:25

To earn salvation by following rules would be easier than surrendering your life to Jesus. It’s a matter of who is in control, God or me?

Jesus is explaining to them that earning salvation is impossible. Salvation is the gift of God for those who trust and follow Him with their whole heart.

We must ask ourselves, Do I want to be a Christian on my own terms? Or, am I willing to follow Him with my whole heart?

Read the whole story of the Rich Young Ruler here: (Mark 10:17-31).

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

After God’s Own Heart

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Friday, 2/13/26

“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” Acts 13:22

“To be a person “after God’s own heart” carries a double meaning. First, it means modeling our heart after God’s heart—growing to love what He loves and hate what He hates.” dailyarmor.blog

My thoughts: The key to being a man or woman “after God’s own heart” is to be surrendered to His will and to put your trust in Him alone. I want God to say, “I have found her to be a woman after my own heart. She will do everything I want her to do.”

Don’t you?

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Grab Hold of Courage!

Cindy Dawson

1-minute reflection for Tuesday, 2/10/26

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].” 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

All open doors offer two choices: to walk by faith or to be controlled by fear (timid). Persecution, infighting, and false teaching threatened the Ephesian church that young Timothy shepherded – and will threaten Christians in the last days. The fearful will drop out. But those who grab hold of the courage (power), compassion (love), and self-control (self-discipline) that God makes available will stand fast until God completes His work in them. (Jeremiah Study Bible Notes)

My thoughts: This is courage: having the strength to act despite fear, danger, or difficulty, choosing to face challenges, persevere, and stand up for the truth of God’s Word.

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Shine Your Light in a Dark World

Cindy Dawson

1-minute reflection for Tuesday, 2/3/26

Jesus taught His disciples saying,
 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Reflect on this: Light and darkness cannot exist in the same space because light dispels darkness just as the rising sun does every morning. We must remember that wherever we take the light of Christ, we are dispelling darkness.

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Finding Strength in Despair

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Monday, 2/2/26

"I cry aloud to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
 I pour out before him my complaint;
    before him I tell my trouble.

 When my spirit grows faint within me,
    it is you who watch over my way." Psalm 142:1-3a

David wrote these words when he was hiding in a cave from Saul and his enemies. Feeling desperate, he realized that his inner strength was melting away. He was discouraged and miserable. He really needed God's help.

If you feel desperate and weak, remember that the Lord is watching over you. Lean on Him. Trust Him. He loves you.

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog