I Challenge You - Marlene Custer

Recently I began pondering how to enrich my Christian walk. I grabbed my Bible and found three challenges. In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter urges us twice to ‘love deeply.’ Deeply here means very intense, extreme, immeasurable. I have no trouble loving my children and grandchildren deeply. But that annoying neighbor, the church gossip, or the homeless person I may meet is another story. Jesus said this is how all men would know we are His disciples, if we have love for one another. Yes, I want to cultivate a deep love for others.

Second, I want to work on forgiving unreservedly. I have lived long enough to be hurt. A careless word, questioned motives, or worse, something negative said about my child or grandchild. But refusing to forgive doesn’t make the hurt better. Recently, I saw a quote that said, ‘The most influential person in your life is the one you haven’t forgiven.’ That’s reason enough to just ‘let it go’!

And third, I challenge myself to savor God’s Word daily. Savor means to enjoy to the fullest. When I read God’s Word, I am allowing Him to talk to me. Yet I so often neglect that privilege. Psalm 119:105 (NIV) declares, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Just as I need light to guide my physical feet, I need His light on my spiritual path. As an added benefit, as I immerse myself in God’s Word, loving others and forgiving them becomes more natural.

Father, please help me to love deeply, forgive unreservedly, and savor Your Word daily.

NIV 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 4:8, John 13:35, Matthew 6:15

Marlene is a retired teacher who desires to make Jesus known. Contact