1 Corinthians 16:13-14

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love."

This verse sums up a great way to live.

Be on your guard. We must recognize that we have a very real enemy (Satan) who wants to steal, kill and destroy everything good that God has made. This means he is roaming about trying to steal your joy and destroy your hope in all things. Being on guard, means we are watching… looking for areas where the enemy might come in and attack and defending that area with the tools God has given us.
Stand firm in the faith. It's important to know what you believe and that truth is found in the bible. Participating in the New Testament Challenge has been an awesome way to hide God's word in your heart. I pray that you’ve been seeing the fruit of this in your own life over the last 6 months of participating. When life gets tough, being able to stand on the promises of Gods word will give you great encouragement and help you receive the breakthrough(s) you need.
Be courageous. As Nelson Mandella so aptly said, "courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Wise words indeed. Whatever you are facing, face it with courage knowing that God is always with you.
Be strong. When I think about strength, I thing about training. A muscle gets strong because it is “trained under pressure”. Bodybuilders don’t wake up one morning with bulging biceps, look in the mirror and be all surprised… “look at those guns!" No, they have deliberately and patiently strengthened those muscles in rigorous gym sessions to shape and sculpt them into the desired shape. Paul urges us to be strong, and that means we should train to become strong. Strong in spirit, strong in character and strong in conviction.
Do everything in love. Paul left this instruction last for a reason and I believe it is the most important ingredient in this recipe, one that cannot be left out. We know that God is love, and that the world will know Him through the way we LOVE one another. So it stands to good reason, that even in “battle mode” we should be motivated and driven by love. A love for God, a love for our fellow believers, and a love for those who are far from Christ. It is love that wins, it is love that never fails.

Be encouraged today :)