Some things in life really help:

• A toothpick when food gets caught between your teeth
• A spare tire when one of your originals goes flat on a highway
• A cool towel and shade on a blisteringly hot day
• Duct tape or glue on hand to quick-fix a problem
• A needed time out available at the end of a game
• An understanding look, comforting word, forgiving offer or an interceding prayer

But some things in life just don't help:

• long conversations in a library
• rubbing salt in a wound
• digging up the past needlessly
• praying for the dead
• offering excuses for shortcomings

Jesus declares a few bold things that really help in life. Let's take a closer look at what He says.

LET THE SPIRIT BRING LIFE – Rely on My Spirit to bring to life what's important, and bring to light that which needs to be seen and dealt with.

My Spirit is great at resurrecting in you what needs to come forth, take root and grow. My Spirit makes you truly alive and keeps you that way. I can really coach. Trust Me for life.

PUT NO CONFIDENCE IN YOUR FLESH – (Philippians 3:3) Your flesh is really no help at all. You in your flesh are bound to fail more often than you think.

Building self-confidence can only take you so far. It can never get you into Heaven, so stop trying to build a self-justified highway there. Don't rely so much on yourself. There's a better place to put your confidence and trust.

MY WORDS ARE BEST – My words are Spirit and life. They really help, so value them! Hear and heed all that I say, and you'll live, really live.

Don't let yourself think that there's an end to My words. Keep looking and listening. You'll find Me throughout Scripture. You'll find me in Spirit, in your heart and mind too. I'll keep helping you.

Reflect: Are you building your life around things that truly help and are life-giving, or things that don't and aren’t? What's not really helping and needs to go?

Not everything that gets your attention deserves your attention. Whose words matter most to you?

A prayer to consider: Jesus, keep speaking life to me. I need your Spirit words.

My flesh is no help at all when it comes to defining and dealing with things that matter most: how I see life, myself, my world and eternity. Coach me by Your Spirit to be all that I was meant to be and do all I was meant to do, for Your glory and my joy in You. Amen.