Living a Fulfilled Life

When life feels uncertain or overwhelming, it’s easy to believe that a fulfilling life depends on our circumstances—on everything finally falling into place. We tell ourselves that once the job stabilizes, the relationship improves, or the finances settle down, then we will have peace. But Scripture tells a different story. True fulfillment doesn’t come from what is happening around us; it flows from what God is forming within us.

The apostle Paul describes this Spirit-formed life in Galatians 5:22–23:

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

This is not a checklist to complete or a standard to measure ourselves against. It is a description of the new life we have received in King Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is not something we manufacture through effort or willpower; it is the natural result of the Holy Spirit’s transforming presence in our hearts. Just as a healthy tree bears fruit because life is flowing through it, a healthy spiritual life produces love, joy, and peace because the Spirit is at work within us.

Earlier in the chapter, Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. In doing so, he is really describing two very different ways of living. One life is driven by self—shaped by desire, fear, pride, and control. The other is guided by the Spirit—rooted in trust, nurtured by grace, and flourishing in God’s faithful love. A Spirit-shaped life is not defined by external success or stability, but by inner transformation.

Jesus described eternal life not simply as life after death, but as a quality of life that begins now—a life marked by God’s presence and purpose. That’s why the fruit of the Spirit is more than moral guidance; it is visible evidence that eternal life is already taking root within us. When we live by the Spirit, we don’t just behave differently—we are being made new.

This transformation reshapes how we understand fulfillment. Instead of being tied to circumstances, fulfillment becomes anchored in the presence of the Spirit. We discover that joy can exist even in hardship, peace can remain in seasons of uncertainty, and love can endure even when life wounds us deeply. This is one of the great paradoxes of spiritual growth: the more deeply the Spirit forms us, the less power the chaos of the world has over us.

As the Spirit works within us, we begin to experience a deep, steady contentment that circumstances cannot steal away. Fulfillment becomes less about control and more about surrender—trusting that God is faithfully at work, producing something good, beautiful, and lasting in us. The fruit of the Spirit reminds us that God is far more concerned with who we are becoming than with our ability to get everything we want.

So perhaps the daily question we need to ask isn’t, “Are things going my way?” but rather, “What kind of fruit is growing in my life?” Are we becoming more patient, more gentle, more faithful? Are joy and peace taking root even when life feels unstable?

The Spirit is faithful to produce this fruit as we remain connected to Jesus—the true vine (John 15:5). Our calling is not to strive harder, but to stay rooted in King Jesus through prayer, Scripture, worship, and life together in community. As we do, the Spirit grows in us what no amount of effort ever could: a life marked by love, joy, peace, and the very character of God.

Fulfillment is not something we achieve; it is something we receive as the Spirit shapes us from the inside out. May we be people who live from that place—grounded in God’s love, bearing the Spirit’s fruit, and discovering a joy no circumstance can undo.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Living with Eternal Life

1 John 5:13–21

If you pull out a dollar bill, you’ll see four familiar words printed on the back: “In God We Trust.” It’s our national motto. We print it on our money. We claim it as part of our identity.

But according to the latest General Social Survey, those four words no longer describe the way most Americans actually live. When people were asked how confident they were that God really exists, only 50%—just half—said they believe in God without any doubts. Thirty years ago that number was 65%, and it’s been sliding ever since. Among young adults the shift is even more dramatic: only 36% now say they are certain God exists.

So we live in a country where our currency declares trust in God, but our culture increasingly doesn’t know whether God is even there. Doubt is growing. Fear is growing. Confusion is growing.

Which raises a deeper question: Where does real confidence come from?

According to the apostle John, confidence doesn’t come from slogans or cultural heritage. It certainly doesn’t come from our feelings. Confidence comes from a Person—Jesus—and what He has already done for us. In his final words of 1 John, John reminds the church what they can know with certainty. And these same truths anchor us today.

We Can Be Confident That We Have Eternal Life

(1 John 5:13–15)

John tells us exactly why he wrote this letter: “so that you may know that you have eternal life.” We don’t have to guess. We don’t have to wonder. We don’t have to live in spiritual uncertainty.

How can we know? John points to two essential realities:

1. Our faith in King Jesus, the unique Son of God.
2. Our love for God and for one another.

Faith and love aren’t abstract ideas—they’re evidence of new life. And because we belong to God, we also have confidence in prayer. When our allegiance is aligned with Jesus, our desires begin to reflect God’s desires. We pray according to His will, and John assures us: God hears us. As a Father, He gives what we need, even if it looks different than what we asked for.

Eternal life isn’t a future prize; it’s a present reality. And it brings confidence.

We Can Be Confident That Sin Is Evil—and That God Rescues Us From It

(1 John 5:16–19)

John turns next to one of the more challenging passages in his letter—praying for those caught in sin.

There are sins that lead to repentance, where guilt and sorrow eventually draw someone back to God. These we should pray for boldly. But John also acknowledges a deeper, more hardened rebellion—willful rejection of God, the kind embraced by the false teachers troubling the early church. Their hearts were closed to the Spirit. Prayer for them may not change their course.

Why is this important? Because confidence in God awakens seriousness about sin. Followers of Jesus don’t make sin a lifestyle. We confess our sins. We seek forgiveness. We fight against temptation because God’s love has taken hold of us.

John contrasts two spiritual realities:

1. We are God’s children, shaped by His love, Spirit, and Word.
2. The world lies under the influence of the evil one, shaped by the spirit of anti-Christ.

So we remain alert. Confident—but not careless.

We Can Be Confident About Jesus—The True God and Eternal Life

(1 John 5:20–21)

John closes with clarity: Jesus has given us the fullest revelation of God. The Old Testament gave glimpses of God through the law, but Jesus shows us God’s heart through love. And because of Him, we can have a genuine relationship with God—walking in love, faith, and loyalty to King Jesus.

This fuller knowledge of God leads to one final command:

“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”

Idols aren’t just statues. They’re false ideas of God. Distorted pictures of Jesus. Voices that seduce our loyalty away from the King—just as the temples and false teachers tried to sway the early church.

Confidence in Jesus means refusing all competing allegiances.

Living With Eternal Life Today

John ends his letter like a loving spiritual father—reminding us what is true, what can be trusted, and how we should live. Our world may be confused about God, but we don’t need to be.

Following King Jesus gives us the confidence we need to live faithfully in this world.

And this kind of life—rooted in clarity, loyalty, and trust—is exactly what our world needs to see.

A Simple Challenge for This Week

Choose one concrete step of confidence:

• Pray boldly for someone who is struggling. 
• Confess a sin you’ve been tolerating.
• Silence a voice that is pulling you from the truth. 
• Open your Bible each morning and ask God to deepen your trust.

Live like someone who truly has eternal life—not someday, but now.

Final Thought

If you are in Christ, you are not meant to drift through life uncertain, anxious, or spiritually unstable. You are meant to stand firm, pray boldly, resist sin faithfully, love sincerely, and worship wholeheartedly. Reject every idol that competes for your allegiance.

Remain with Jesus. Trust Him. Follow Him.

And you will shine with a confidence this world has forgotten—but desperately needs to see.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Only Jesus Can Restore Us

J. Heinrich Arnold wrote; "Jesus alone can heal us and give us a new heart.  He came to restore us through his blood, and every heart, however tormented, can find comfort and healing in him" (Freedom from Sinful Thoughts).

Part of the human condition is to look for life apart from God.  At one time or another everyone resembles the church family at Laodicea.  These Christians believed that because of their wealth, their continued prosperity, and their industry that they needed nothing.  They clung to the belief that their hard work, their great economy, and their wonderful city provided for them everything they needed.

The problem was God saw things differently.  They saw themselves as fashionable and wealthy, but God knew they were poor, pitiful, and pathetic (Rev. 3:17).  Their source of life and healing was nothing but a broken cistern, unable to give them what they truly needed.

The counsel Jesus gave to this church was to turn to him and he would give them real wealth, real healing, and real fashion.  These Christian would rather make do with the things of this world than to experience the real life Christ delivered them to live.

So many of us continue to insist on finding hope, healing, and life on our own.  The question I remember Erwin McManus asking in a sermon years ago is relevant to this discussion: "Why do we continue to search for life in dead places?" 

We search for life in good things like relationships, jobs, and traditions.  We search for life in evil things like drugs, pornography, and immorality.  Everything from education to politics to entertainment can be turned into a source of life, healing, and hope.  As we do this we continue to discover that they do not satisfy.

Sooner of later we need to come to the realization that the apostle Paul came to:

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!  —(Philippians 3:7-11; NLT).

This brings us back to the quote from the start: Jesus alone brings healing.  The condition attached to the healing Jesus offers is that we need to set aside what we are clinging to now and come empty handed to him.  It is not easy to break free from the things we have clung onto for so long for identity, life, hope, and healing, but it must be done.  That is what repentance is all about. 

The great news is that healing and true life is available to everyone.  It does matter who you are and what you have done, Jesus offers you healing and life.  Come as you are to Jesus, and he will give you the healing your heart desperately needs.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Encountering the Word of Life

A few years ago, researchers studied how much it costs when people avoid hard conversations. They discovered that the average employee wastes about $1,500 and an entire workday for every crucial conversation they refuse to have. Multiply that across an organization, and the costs skyrocket.

Why? Because avoiding conflict doesn’t make it disappear—it just redirects it. Instead of resolving issues, people complain, stew in frustration, or distance themselves from one another. Sometimes the tension drags on for months, costing thousands of dollars.

What about the church? What’s the cost of conflict when believers avoid hard conversations? We lose unity. We stop praying for each other. We withdraw instead of serving together. And sadly, churches shrink because unresolved tension drives people away.

This isn’t new. The letters of John were written to churches struggling with conflict. False teachers denied that Jesus was truly human, which split the community. Some left, and those who remained faced deep questions about truth, love, and fellowship. Into that moment, John writes words of hope, clarity, and invitation.

Why John’s Words Still Matter
Tradition holds that 1, 2, and 3 John were written by the Apostle John between 70–90 AD—the same John who wrote the Gospel. Unlike a typical letter, 1 John reads more like a sermon written for broad circulation. An intriguing thought I came across in my study is the possibility that 2 and 3 John served as cover letters for it.

John’s goal was simple: to call the church back to the truth about Jesus and to the practice of love. His message is as relevant now as it was then. In a fractured world, we need wisdom to help us live faithfully as disciples of King Jesus—walking in truth, walking in love, and shining as light in our communities.

A Life-Changing Encounter
Have you ever had an experience so profound you couldn’t keep it to yourself? The birth of a child, an achievement you worked years to reach, or an encounter with God that changed everything? These moments demand to be shared.

That’s exactly where John begins. His testimony isn’t abstract theology—it’s rooted in what he personally experienced:

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life.” (1 John 1:1–2a, NLT)

John piles up sensory words—heard, seen, touched—to drive home his point: Jesus was real. He wasn’t an idea or a myth. He was flesh and blood, the eternal Word of God who stepped into history. John and the other apostles walked with Him, ate with Him, and saw His miracles firsthand.

Christianity rests on this reality: Jesus came in the flesh, lived among us, died for us, and rose again. Our faith is not built on speculation but on eyewitness testimony.

That means our relationship with Jesus isn’t something we sustain in isolation. We encounter Him as we gather with others, as we pray for one another, as we serve together. We meet Him in Scripture, where the Spirit reminds us of who He is. And we see Him in the faces of “the least of these” when we serve with love.

A Proclamation of Life
John doesn’t just describe his experience—he shares it:

“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3, NLT)

John couldn’t keep silent. He knew Jesus is eternal life revealed—the very life of God made visible. And this life wasn’t for him alone. It was meant to be proclaimed and shared.

This challenges us. Too often we think proclaiming the gospel requires eloquence or formal training. But John reminds us that proclamation is simply testifying to what you’ve seen God do. Have you experienced His forgiveness? Share it. Have you found hope in a dark time? Tell someone. Has God provided when you didn’t know how things would work out? Point it back to Him.

Proclamation isn’t about being polished; it’s about being personal. Someone in your life may be waiting to hear how God’s life has touched yours.

Fellowship and Joy
Why does John proclaim this truth? His purpose is clear:

“We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.” (1 John 1:4, NLT)

John longs for believers to experience fellowship with God and one another. This isn’t just social connection; it’s a deep, Spirit-filled bond rooted in Christ. Gary Burge puts it well: “Christian fellowship is triangular: my life in fellowship with Christ, your life in fellowship with Christ, and my life in fellowship with yours.”

When we walk in truth and love, our lives interlock with God’s life and with each other. Out of that fellowship flows joy—not circumstantial happiness, but deep, resilient joy that God Himself completes in us.

If your joy feels faint, perhaps it’s time to lean back into fellowship—with God in prayer and Scripture, and with His people in community. Joy is often restored when we stop isolating and start connecting again.

Encountering the Word of Life Today
John’s words still invite us today:

1. Encounter Jesus personally. He is the eternal Word of Life who came in the flesh.
2. Proclaim what you’ve experienced. Share how God is at work in your life—it may encourage someone else to believe.
3. Pursue fellowship. Life with God is meant to be shared with others. Joy grows in community.

The big idea is simple: Encountering the Word of Life leads us into fellowship with God and others and fills us with lasting joy.

So here’s the challenge: Who in your life needs encouragement or hope? Take one step this week to share Jesus with them—whether through your story, a prayer, or an invitation into Christian community.

Encountering the Word of Life changes everything—our faith, our relationships, and our joy. Let’s live in that reality today.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Clarity: What Happens When You Die?

Part of the Clarity Series: Building a Christian Worldview

In 2018, 18-year-old Renard Matthews was tragically shot and killed in his New Orleans neighborhood. At his wake, something unusual happened. Instead of being laid in a casket, his body was posed in a life-like scene: slouched in a chair, PlayStation controller in hand, sunglasses on, Doritos and root beer nearby, and NBA2K playing on the TV. The practice, called “extreme embalming,” aims to show people doing what they loved in life.

That desire is deeply human. We want our last memory of someone to reflect who they were—not just how they died, but how they lived. Behind that desire is also a belief: they’re in a better place now, doing what they love. The idea of a great golf course, garden, or video game lounge in the sky comforts us.

But it also raises a deeper question: What actually happens when you die?


Facing Death with Hope

Death is something we all face. Whether we’re grieving someone we’ve lost or preparing for our own eventual passing, we long for clarity—and hope.

This question has layers. As New Testament scholar N.T. Wright puts it, we’re really asking about life after life after death. In other words, what happens immediately after death? And what happens ultimately?

To answer that, we turn to 2 Corinthians 5:1–10, where the apostle Paul gives us a framework for understanding death—not just as an ending, but as a transition. Writing to a church that faced trials, persecution, and loss, Paul reminds them (and us) that this life is not the end of the story.


1. Our Hope (vv. 1–4)

Paul begins with a clear picture: this life is like living in a tent—temporary and fragile. But we have the hope of a permanent home, “a building from God, eternal in the heavens” (v. 1). That home isn’t an escape from our bodies—it’s the promise of resurrection.

Unlike pagan thought, where the body is something to be discarded, the Christian hope treasures both spirit and body. God created us as whole beings. So when we die, we’re not fully complete—we’re “naked,” Paul says (v. 3), waiting to be clothed with our resurrection bodies.

What happens when a Christian dies?

• We go to be with Jesus (see also Philippians 1:21–23).
• It’s a place of joy and rest.
• But it’s also temporary.

We wait for the final resurrection, when heaven and earth are renewed (Revelation 21), and we receive new, incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15).

So our hope isn’t just going to heaven when we die. It’s being raised to new life in God’s New Creation—a world without pain, death, or sorrow. A world made right.

2. Our Confidence (vv. 5–8)

How can we be sure this will happen? Paul says we have a guarantee: the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is God’s down payment—proof that we belong to Him and that He will finish what He started. While we live by faith and not by sight, we aren’t guessing or crossing our fingers. We’re living in covenant with a faithful God.

So whether we remain in our earthly bodies or leave them behind, our confidence is this: we will be with Jesus.

3. Our Responsibility (vv. 9–10)

Because we have this hope and confidence, Paul challenges us to live with purpose.

“So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him.” (v. 9)

One day, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ—not for condemnation, but for evaluation. What we do in this life matters. Our lives now are the building blocks of eternity (see also 1 Corinthians 3:12–15).

This means…

• Living by faith.
• Living with love.
• Making disciples.
• Doing what pleases Jesus.

What About Those Who Don’t Follow Jesus?

You might be wondering: what happens to people who aren’t followers of Jesus?

The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail, but it does give us a warning. In Luke 16, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. After death, there’s a separation between those who are with God and those who are not—and that separation cannot be crossed.

Jesus is clear: eternal life is found in Him. To be with Jesus in the Spirit is joy. To face judgment without Him is loss. That’s the hard reality—and the reason we share the gospel.

(We’ll talk more about this in next week’s post on the reality of hell.)

So, What Happens When You Die?

If you’re a follower of Jesus:

• When you die, your spirit goes to be with Jesus.

• You wait there with joy for the resurrection of your body.

• One day, you’ll live forever in the New Creation—whole, renewed, and in the presence of God.

If you’re not yet following Jesus, there is still time. Jesus invites you to trust Him, follow Him, and receive eternal life.

Your Challenge: Live with Eternity in Mind

Because eternity is real, live your life in anticipation of spending it with Jesus.

This week, do something that pleases Him:

1. Stop doing something that distracts from your purpose.

2. Start doing something that reflects Jesus to the world.

3. Love someone with compassion and grace.

Next in the Clarity Series:
If there’s life after death, what about the reality of hell? Stay tuned as we continue to build a biblical worldview to help us see clearly, live faithfully, and love deeply.

Sunday Prayer: Living the New Life

Heavenly Father,

We come before You with grateful hearts, raised to new life through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to set our sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ reigns in glory at Your right hand. Teach us to focus our minds and hearts on eternal truths, not the fleeting distractions of this world.

Lord, remind us that our old selves have died, and our true life is now hidden with Christ in You. Fill us with the hope and assurance that when Christ returns in glory, we will share in His radiant splendor. Guide us to live each day rooted in this promise, reflecting Your love and grace to the world.

In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

This prayer is inspired by Colossians 3:1-4.

The Power of Prayer in a Hustle-Driven World

In today’s relentless rush, life feels like a treadmill set to sprint. We chase success, juggle endless responsibilities, and measure our worth by what we achieve. Work, family, and social demands pull us in every direction, and in this storm of hustle, one simple practice often slips away: prayer.

R. A. Torrey, in his classic work The Power of Prayer, saw this coming. “We do not live in a praying age,” he wrote. “We live in an age of hustle and bustle, of man’s efforts and man’s determination, of man’s confidence in himself and in his own power to achieve things.” He described a world driven by human machinery and ambition—a world where trusting God’s power feels like a relic. If anything, his words hit harder now, as our culture doubles down on self-reliance.

So why does prayer still matter? It’s not a magic fix or a wishlist for God to rubber-stamp. Prayer is a lifeline—a moment of raw connection where we lay down our pride and seek divine wisdom. When we pause to pray, we admit we don’t have it all figured out. We invite God to guide us through life’s chaos, trusting His perspective over our plans.

But prayer isn’t just personal. It’s a bridge to others. When we lift up a friend in crisis, a family member in need, or even a stranger we’ll never meet, we step outside ourselves. We carry their burdens to God, asking for His grace to touch their lives. In a me-first world, this act of intercession is quietly radical—a rebellion against selfishness dressed up as love.

Our society celebrates the grind: the promotions, the accolades, the packed schedules. Prayer flips that script. It whispers that true worth isn’t in what we do, but in who we are—children of God, called to faith and compassion. When we stop to pray, we trade the noise of ambition for something eternal. We realign with what lasts: our bond with God and the people He’s placed around us.

Torrey’s warning doesn’t have to be our story. We can choose differently. By weaving prayer into our days—whether in a quiet morning moment or a whispered plea amid the storm—we tap into God’s strength. We find peace for ourselves and pour it out for others. In an age that idolizes effort, prayer is our defiance: a reminder that real power doesn’t come from us, but from Him.

So let’s reclaim it. Let’s step off the treadmill, look beyond the grind, and rediscover the stillness where God waits. In prayer, we don’t just find answers—we find purpose. And that’s a victory no hustle can touch.