I asked the following question to five women, “What does it mean to be Christ like for you?”

These are a few of their responses:

• It is better to give than to receive.
• Turn a blind eye.
• Selflessness—put the other person first.
• Be in his word, his presence dwells in you.
• Wisdom to keep the peace, but not to your own detriment.
• Growth in teaching others.

I am on a spiritual journey and it has not been an easy one. Along the way I have heard one must pray, read the scriptures, meditate, and listen to music. When one finds a passage that one can relate to it is good to read the verses that comes before and after a referenced scripture. This is what happened to me when I only looked at Job 1:21 NRSV, which reads, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there: the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” This is saying to me to trust in the Lord. He has all the power and the control. Before Job stated the quoted words he did something, this is what he did, Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped, Job 1:20 NRSV. He put the situation and trust in God’s hands. In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing, in Job 1:22 NRSV. Even though Job went through so much suffering he never gave up on his faith.

What does it mean to have faith? Faith can be defined as a belief and trust in and loyalty to God. The hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness sang by Chris Rice takes me to a calm place. The lyric says, “All I have needed thy hand hath provided.”

We all have our ups and downs in life. God is with us at all times.

A few weeks ago, one of the top 12 on the 2015 show The Voice, Jordan Smith graced us with Great is thy Faithfulness. Check it out.

Blessings to you on this first day of Advent.