The Basics of Life

As the pages of the calendar have recently turned and the Earth has taken another trip around the sun, I am honored to be writing the first Beyond the Pulpit blog for 2026. I’ve had many themes cross my mind as I prepared to write whatever God led me to, and every theme pointed me straight back to our Lord and Savior and getting back to the basics of life.

There was a Christian musical group that formed back in 1990 called “4 Him” and one of their best known songs was a song titled “The Basics of Life.” This song is actually quite simple in its nature, yet reiterates profound truths. We live in a world where humanity has made the things that are right, wrong, and the things that are wrong have become right. What? The Word of God is THE truth of this world, yet so many people twist it to suit their own agendas. Why? A.W. Tozer once said “God’s Word is true whether we believe it or not. Human unbelief cannot alter the character of God.” Hebrews 13:8 speaks to that truth. It tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (NIV) Jesus is unchanging, and in a world where things change faster than the speed of light, that truth becomes an anchor for the children of God. A basic of the Christian life if you will. 2 Peter 1: 3-9 (NIV) gives us sound advice on living a life of virtue that continually honors God and within the advice given is a roadmap to the basics of a life of faith. Peter writes “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” I love how these verses encourage us to add one basic tenet of faith onto the next. They remind me of building blocks, a basic child’s toy, one stacked upon another.

2025 is behind us now and Scripture tells us to look ahead. If we look ahead with the eyes of the world, we will see more darkness than we ever thought possible. Because we are children of the Truth, we see what lies ahead with spiritual eyes. The beauty of what lies ahead is beyond earthly comprehension and it takes faith to see beyond the darkness into His marvelous light. Much of 2025 was difficult, and staying on the narrow path that God laid out for me was the only way I was able to put one foot in front of the other. God’s grace, another basic tenet of faith, was, and is, my compass. The beauty of the struggles that are still ongoing continue to make a way for me to rely solely on God’s strength, not my own. Practicing the basics of life in the midst of struggle isn’t easy, it’s life-giving. I’ll end with these simple basics that make life more enjoyable through the times when we simply want to hide. I practice many of these on a daily basis as I work out in the community and shine my light for the Kingdom.

Stop and say hello in the grocery store if you see someone you know. Pray by the donuts! Hug your friends and tell them you love them. Tell someone how they’ve impacted your day. If someone crosses your mind, pray for them. Be kind. Acknowledge kindnesses shown, even if it means sending a delayed thank you card. Practice the basics of life and share a smile. Thank God for all you have, even if it doesn’t seem as much as the world thinks you should have. We received the greatest gift of all when we received salvation, and sharing that gift can help set someone else on the path to the basics of life and the truth of God’s love. Remember, too, that we have the greatest instruction manual there is, the Bible. B asic I nstructions B efore L eaving E arth… May you all be blessed with a very happy and healthy 2026!!!