Archive for the ‘Something to think about’ Category

Are you really Waiting?

Posted: January 30, 2016 in Something to think about
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Waiting

If you recall, my previous post was very literal when talking about that while we wait for Christ to come, we must not assume that He will delay His return. Our job is to be ready for Him to return at ANY time. Directly following then, is the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, which simply reverses the previous point. (Matthew 25:1-13)

Being ready for Him to come back at “any time” means NOT being caught off guard even IF He does delay. A mature Christian understands that there is a balance in those expectations.

In my lifetime, I have seen several groups over the years that thought they had figured out the right timeline from the Bible for Christ’s return. They came up with an arrival date and then planned to be there to welcome Him. In some instances, these people sold everything they had; homes, cars etc. only to be disappointed. These people were absolutely certain about their date and some even went to the mountaintop for the arrival. But, as it turned out, and always has turned out, these people were wrong and left discredited for their blunder.

Guys, there is no doubt that the return of Christ is fast approaching because the Bible tells us:

The time is short…for this world in its present form is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:31 NIV)

Understand that there is absolutely nothing that stands in the way of His return…nothing. Knowing that, it is our job to be ready if He comes back today.

The problem is that we live in this “instant” world where we think we need some gratification immediately rather than waiting for something to take its normal course…over time. Our society struggles with waiting for anything. Think about it, Amazon is creating a delivery service to bring you what your ordered in 2 hours so you DON’T have to wait. Why do they do that? You know why.

But remember this important point guys, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day”. We cannot be ignorant about when Christ will return. “God is patient towards us not willing that anyone should perish but that all would come to repentance”. But when He comes, “it will be like a thief in the night”(2 Peter 3:8-10).

So in the interim, we must be ready and faithful to what we are supposed to be doing while here on this earth and not getting distracted with everything else we see. That is why He told us this parable about the ten bridesmaids.

The story is simply one about being prepared. In the parable, we hare told about 10 bridesmaids whose only responsibility was to light their lamps when the bridegroom arrived for the wedding. As we see right away, 5 of them were wise and 5 were foolish. The wise bridesmaids remembered to bring extra oil with them and the foolish ones forgot. As it turned out, the bridegroom was extremely late in getting to the wedding. We are not told why he was late but when he did arrive, he still wanted to go through with the ceremony. When the cry came that he was here, the foolish ones asked the wise ones to share their oil but the wise ones told them their wouldn’t be enough for all of them so the 5 wise bridesmaids entered the ceremony and the 5 foolish were left outside. When they begged the bridegroom to let them in, He game them this chilling response, “Assuredly I say to you, I do not know you”.

Even though the bridegroom was late in arriving, everyone there was ready for Him except the 5 foolish bridesmaids…they were out trying to find more oil for their lamps. Think about this; their only job was to keep their lamp burning and they couldn’t because they didn’t think to bring extra oil. They weren’t prepared for His return.

I know this story is simple, but it illustrates a huge point for everyone of us; Christ is the bridegroom and He is coming back. He may be late or He may be on time…no one knows. Our job is simply to be ready for Him no matter what the hour may be of His return.

Every day and every hour that passes is one more closer to His coming back and the need for us to pay attention and be watchful is even more important. Guys, my prayer for you is that you are watching and waiting for His return and that you are NOT shut our permanently.

Keep your eyes pointed upward.

Until next time guys…

Are you really Watching?

Posted: January 16, 2016 in Something to think about
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32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.

36 If he comes suddenly do not let him find you sleeping.

37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch’!   (Mark 13:32-37 NIV)

As you may or may not know, Christ is coming back for his people and the scriptures are full of references to that very fact. But the reality is that NO ONE knows when…not even Christ himself as told to us in the verses above in the book of Mark. So what does that mean for you and me?

We must wait faithfully for His return.

In my last blog post, I told you there were three things that God requests us to do while we are waiting and today, I am going to focus on the first one on the list.

Christ revealed this to His disciples in the form of a parable and in fact, Jesus gave all 3 of them as parables in order to help the disciples better understand and apply them to their lives. Here is the first one:

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’

49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.   (Matthew 24:45-51 NIV)

Jesus paints this picture using words of 2 extremes; 1 servant who was faithful and carried out what his master had asked him to do, and the other servant who saw the masters absence as a chance to enjoy himself to the fullest and just party.

The Faithful Servant

Because this servant was faithful the entire time the master was away, he was rewarded beyond any expectation imaginable. He is promoted and given privileges that are almost to the level of the master himself.

Guys, this is a peak inside to the eternal rewards that all faithful Christians will be able to share in.

The Evil Servant

This servant represents a self-deceived doubter who simply pretends to be serving his master. The truth be told, he doesn’t love the master or even look forward to his return and I think he actually believes he isn’t coming back and therefore he can do anything he wants. Moreover, he convinces himself of this idea and seemingly justifies it to himself and then continues down his evil path.

When the master does return, the evil servant is uncovered and punished to the other complete negative extreme, as the faithful servant reward was positive. He is sent to a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth…which represents hell.

So this is not a very difficult parable to understand or how it applies to all of us. Christ represents the master and has left for a while but He expects us, his faithful servants, to watch for Him because He is coming back…

So which servant are you?

This is not a difficult question to answer if you’re honest with yourself. But as a simple friendly reminder, you need to figure this question out sooner rather than later and begin to live your life accordingly because Christ’s return is imminent.

 

For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”

And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” (Hebrews 10:37-38 NIV)

 

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.   (Matthew 24:42 NIV)

Guys, if you haven’t figured it out already, the first thing God requests of us is to watch. I encourage you to be the faithful servant Christ spoke about in His parable rather than the evil one who thought he could outsmart his master. Fundamentally, he paid the ultimate price by going to a horrific place and I don’t want that to be you…

So please…keep a close watch…

Until next time guys…

 

 

Remain Faithful Until He Returns

Posted: January 10, 2016 in Something to think about
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faithful

Well, 2016 is upon all of us, whether we like it or not. And, as we all can observe, there is a great deal going on in our world right now that just might, and probably does, push you to the brink of fear. It is easy to think that way because we don’t know how all this unrest is going to affect our families and us. What does the future hold for us? Is it, War, Peace? Financial ruin? Only God knows.

What I know is that in the Bible, we are told to remain faithful until He returns and that will be my main focus for the first part of my posts in 2016. I believe that we are given specific responsibilities in scripture that come directly from the mouth of Christ’s that tell us how we are to behave, react and frankly, what to believe. Honestly, I find these scriptures hugely comforting because what I’m reading is describing exactly what I’m seeing around me. God already knew that chaos, unrest and a fear for our future would happen and He gave us His Word to help faithful Christians prepare for the inevitable future.

Guys please do not misinterpret what I am saying (and will say) over the coming weeks. I am not the town crier of doom and gloom. What I am however is someone whose sole purpose is to remind us of what is already there in Gods Word. As I said before, what I write in Ironman strength isn’t new or undiscovered…its been there the whole time, it is just that many of us (myself included) are too busy to take the time to read and listen to what God wants us to see. So for the next several posts, I am going to lay this out and show you exactly what God wants you to remember, understand, and most of all…apply to your lives.

I believe we are in a very unique time in history and God is continuing to unfold His plan around us. I believe that the magnetism coming from this world is greater than it has ever been. This draw, or attraction, is extremely powerful and it takes a strongly, grounded Christian to be able to resist the powerful temptation that is being thrown in our direction. This intense lure towards the things of this world is everywhere and you cannot go anywhere and not feel its pull. But guess what? God already knew this would happen and He gave us scripture to hang onto while we wait for His return.

 

 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ

(Titus 2:11-13 NIV)

 

Please understand me when I say that my post is NOT meant to scare you…my sole purpose is that you know what is available in God’s Word to use to fight this battle. The pull of this world is super strong. But the strength you have available from Him is far stronger…IF YOU USE IT.

Stay tuned for the next few posts coming soon where we will look at the 3 things we are supposed to do while we wait for Gods return. Believe it or not, we ARE NOT supposed to head into our panic room and try and ride out the storm…

He has other plans for us…

Until next time guys…

Happy New Year…

The Tree is known by its Fruit

Posted: December 19, 2015 in Something to think about
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Every single day we get up and move out into this big world and be who we are…either in our own selves, or in God. You and I get to make that choice for ourselves and I don’t think anyone would dispute that statement.

My question is, “Who are YOU be-ing?”

If we simply go about our business each day without acknowledging God, then we are going to act in the same way. If God isn’t a part of your routine, then on the surface, He won’t exist in your life. When this happens, you become absorbed into this world and there is a great deal the Bible has to say about transformation (1 John 2:15). It is called “conforming to the world” but I wanted to focus on the verse I started with at the beginning.

The tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33

Jesus said this in a tense conversation with some Pharisees who were out to prove Him wrong. My focus today however, is the simplicity of the statement and what it means for you and me. Here is what I mean; you and I recognize the fruit trees around us because of the kind of fruit they bear like oranges, plums, peaches etc. because they taste good. In contrast, it is probably true that we won’t head to the nearest lemon or a lime tree and peel and eat it like we would the fruits mentioned previously because we know what they taste like. Again, pretty simple stuff.

Look at this in a different way…you and I are recognized by our family, friends and coworkers in specific way for a reason. We might be a friendly person, or not. We might be a smart person, or not. We might be a great worker, or not. My point is, you are known for specific reasons and as a result, that is how people think of you. Sometimes our reputations precede us in a way we don’t like, or maybe we do? Bottom line, you are known for what you have accomplished, or not. For what you have said, or should have said. For what you have or haven’t believed.

Guys, simply put:

What are YOU known for in this world?

As I said earlier, who are YOU be-ing or representing?

What is the fruit that YOU are bringing to this world?

 

I am speaking to those of you who profess Christianity. If you say one thing and act out something else…well…that is what YOU will be known for. A tree is known for its fruit.

Ask yourself whom do YOU represent?

If you truly represent Christ, then represent Him in the manner that you know you should. The Bible tells us that we cannot serve two masters. In other words, you cannot be a lover of the world and of one of God’s children at the same time. Choose what you want to be known for and then stay the course. God will help you bear the fruit you were destined to bring forth.

 

Until next time guys…

Who have you chosen to be?

Posted: November 26, 2015 in Something to think about
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Choices of a businessman

I heard a friend of mine complaining recently about how someone at his work had “made him do something” that cost him and his company thousands of dollars. His error had cost his company lots of money and his excuse was to blame someone else. As his friend, it was difficult for me to listen to him speak about this situation because ultimately I knew I had to ask him the question to get him to stop and think about what he was actually saying.

“Wasn’t that your choice to go with that vendor who ended up blowing the project?”

His response was, “Well yes, but…”

I said, “You are the procurement guy. Don’t they pay you to make those decisions?”

His response was, “You are right, they do”

“Haven’t you told me before that particular vendor has made other mistakes with your work?”

His response was, “I really messed this up haven’t I?”

My only point to him was this; He made the choice to use that vendor and it went the wrong way as a result. He knew better, but he still made the choice. That choice may still end up costing him his job…

Every day of our lives we all have to and get to, make choices that affect ourselves and other people. Some of our choices are good, and some not so much. But our choices will affect us for a lifetime and that is why we must strive to make the right ones…

I am not telling anyone anything here that you don’t already know. This post starts off basic to prove my ultimate point which is that God only recognizes two kinds of people;

The Godly- those who are characterized by righteousness and obeying God.

 The ungodly- those who represent the ways of the world and who don’t care about the Word of God and who will not assemble with God’s people.

Which one are you?

Listen to David’s words in Psalms:

The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. (Psalms 5:5-6 NIV)

YOU HATE ALL WHO DO WRONG

Guys, evil does not exist in the abstract. God only hates sin, but also hates those who perpetrate evil. On the other hand, the Bible reveals God as the One who loves sinners, reaches out to them in compassion and mercy, and seeks to redeem them from sin through the cross of Christ…remember John 3:16?

We, YOU and ME, get to make the choice for our own lives as to what kind of man we want to be. We choose either to be Godly or not. We choose either the narrow gate or the wide one:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV)

These are Christ’s words to us and they are very clear.

As we face a particularly tormented world right now where the future appears very bleak…I encourage you to make the right choice with God by choosing the narrow gate today. This choice will have a positive ripple effect not only in your life but in the lives of all your family members. I have seen this happen countless times and I never cease to be amazed at how the hand of God works with families.

And just think, all of this boils down to you making a choice for yourself…

Remember the words of the great warrior Joshua as he stepped down as the leader of the children of Israel:

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”   (Joshua 24:15 NIV)

Until next time Guys…

Are you Serious about God?

Posted: September 26, 2015 in Something to think about
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I think sometimes it is very tempting to go about our lives forgetting there is a God of this universe mainly because of the fact that we physically cant see Him. Now, we can see His handiwork should we choose to look, but for an average person striving to get to the next level in their life, many of us just don’t pay attention.

Frankly guys right now, I am speaking to those of you who were raised in a local church and understand the idea of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. These are the folks, that in my mind, “know better”.

You see as we all know very well, life just simply rolls on and it does not stop for anyone. We cant take a break or call time out, or…like I’ve seen in the movies, control time by making it stand still. My point, is that before you know it, years have gone by and your children have gotten older and you still feel the same way about God…in other words, kind of apathetic?

Well, I have an opinion on that…and it is simply that it’s time to get serious about God. It is time to take control over yourself and get back on track with why you are here. Do you know the answer to that question? Why am I here? Its actually easy; you are here to prepare yourself and your family for eternity…and how does one do that?

GET SERIOUS ABOUT GOD

But I will warn you about this; getting serious with God is no laughing matter. You need to remember that dealing with the almighty God is HOLY BUSINESS and no casual dealings will suffice. A.W. Tozer said, “Let him come to God in full determination to be heard. Let him insist that God accept his all, that he take the things out of his heart that shouldn’t be there in order that God, Himself reign there in power.”

What is Tozer saying here? Simply put, be a man with God. You were born a man for a reason on this earth and God expects you to act like one, even in His presence. Please don’t mistake what I am saying here as arrogance because if you do, it will not go well. When you approach God, approach him with humility, but as a man, NOT a pup. You are (Or have been?) a warrior in your lifetime and God desperately wants you to act like one again both on your behalf as well as your families.

Guys, in truth, what I am saying here is not a difficult thing. But it does take a real man to admit where he is failing and a real man to ask God for forgiveness. When you do that, you have gotten serious about God…and that is exactly where He wants you to be.

Until next time Guys-

Simply Put…SEEK GOD

Posted: September 13, 2015 in Something to think about
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Guys, I don’t know about you, but as I look out on this landscape I see in front of my right now on my television screen I find myself looking toward heaven in anticipation of what God has in store for this earth. Honestly in my eyes, things appear to be bleaker as I have ever seen and I believe that the tide of evil is moving in our direction. So in this hour of concern as to “what can I do about this” again I look toward heaven and present the very same question to God and my overwhelming response is to seek Him.

I remember reading this in scripture:

You will seek and find me if you seek me with all of your heart. “I will be found by you”, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:13-14a

Remember that simple promise guys:

If you seek me you will find me…IF…you seek me with all of your heart.

If I was to go back and look at some of my favorite characters presented to us in the Bible, one of the main characteristics of all of them was how they continually sought after God through both the good and the bad times of their lives. The ominous cloud that is on the horizon is NOT the first time that Gods people have faced danger and survived. Consider this story back in the Old Testament in 2 Kings where the Assyrians were camped outside the city of Jerusalem for the sole purpose of destroying them. At that time Hezekiah, the King of Jerusalem, earnestly went to God and prayed an amazing prayer in chapter 19:14-19…you need to read this story because in his GREAT hour of need, where he feared for his life and the life of his people, he sought God and God heard him and delivered them from sure death from the Assyrians…JUST like He can do for you.

Guys, I understand I am calling your attention to a story from the Bible and its hard to relate to something that happened 2500 years ago but please understand that the God of this story is the very same God that I am asking you to seek now.

Don’t become disillusioned with seeking a God that you can’t see because the Bible is very specific about this as well:

So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corin. 4:16

imagesSo what am I really saying here?

I am here to be a voice of hope for you even in this hour of confusion and despair. How can we possibly have hope when things look bleak? Because you are not in this by yourself and I will continue to throw scripture at you because that is where we Christians are called to draw our strength from…so read these:

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

And finally:

Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.

Philippians 4:6-7

Guys my challenge to you today is to begin (or continue) in earnest to seek God with everything you have and I can guarantee that you will be rewarded with an internal peace for both you and your family to rest in as we move forward in these uncertain times.

Until next time Guys…

How is your thought LIFE?

Posted: July 19, 2015 in Something to think about
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thoughts

Are you one of those guys who just absolutely LOVE’S competition? Over the years, I have found that I am a guy who turn’s pretty much everything I do into a contest…and I really can’t help it…I think it might actually be in my DNA because I so enjoy the thrill of competing or engaging an opponent. Whether it’s shooting dirty clothes into the clothes hamper with my son, throwing darts, or playing a competitive sport, I relish my opportunities to compete and be challenged.

That got me thinking about how we men have challenges beyond the physical that involve battles for our thought life. As strange as that sounds, have you ever considered that inside your mind is a war zone and there is a constant competition for who is going to win the battle over what you think about?

Think about that statement for a second…

Inside your head, there is a battle going on where good and evil compete literally every second of your day as to who will gain control.

Now, if you think I am over exaggerating this issue, I have the Bible to back me up. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Paul tells us that it’s our job to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”.

In other words, we are expected to be in control over what we think and if we have a thought that isn’t “Godly” we are to limit it and make it obedient to Christ.

Now, I may have lost some of you already because what I am saying is very difficult to do…even if we WANT to do it. If you are a guy reading this blog who walks with God then you already know that we are bombarded with images and situations that cause everyone of us to think thoughts that are NOT Godly…

By the way, in case you didn’t know this already, that IS Satan’s plan. You see the way to your heart is through your MIND and if he can gain control over what you think about, then he has you…that is why Paul said this 2000 years ago because he knew even then, that one way Satan would attack men…was through our thoughts.

Hey Guys…know this… there is a way to gain victory over your thoughts but like everything else we do, we have to work at it and most of all, be consistent. Its just like working out in the gym…when we skip a few days, its far easier to just keep on skipping until we never go at all…it takes a consistent routine, day in and day out, to make the physical progress as well as overcoming the mental part of just going in the first place.

Overcoming our thought life is exactly the same; it takes a constant effort on your part to gain victory. In this case though, we cannot skip days…we must be consistent each day and put on our armor knowing full well we are in a battle against and enemy who seeks to destroy us…

I put together 4 steps necessary to control your thought life to help you for the future.

  1. It takes Fortitude. Just like your Coach used to tell you, “you got to want it”. If you are sitting on the edge as to whether or not you want to control your thought life, then you have already lost.
  1. Be Consistent. Each day give your thoughts over to Him and then work to be conscious of what you are thinking about. Some of us allow our thoughts to drift off into what ever and that is a wide open door for Satan to walk through. Paul even tells us in 1st Corinthians that he “dies daily” to Christ, which simply means he hits the reset button everyday before he went to work.
  1. Hit the Reset button everyday. Paul even tells us in 1st Corinthians that he “dies daily” to Christ, which simply means he hits the reset button everyday before he went to work. We are going to fail…we just need to know that we can reset each day and begin anew…clean, fresh and sinless in Gods eyes.
  1. It takes a Team. Sometimes, and I know this is hard for men to do…but if we have a buddy that we can talk to during our weak moments…that just may be the difference between success and failure.

Guys, let me end this post this way. Please understand that even if you work to apply what I have said today, you are still going to mess up now and then.

HEAR MY WORDS!

 Do NOT give up. Keep fighting on. God Forgives and He FORGETS.

 Just because you screw up does not mean it is game over. Life happens and things don’t always go the way we want them to. In those times, we have to seek God even more.

 And He will extend His grace and forgiveness to you. You can count on that.

 You CAN do this…

 Until next time guys…

We Live as if we are going to Live Forever

Posted: March 22, 2015 in Something to think about
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I heard one of my favorite Pastors, Andy Stanley, recently speak about a topic that I think is so very relevant right now because of where we are in the world with all of its chaos and unpredictability. As Christians, many of us can honestly see the worlds events unfolding just as the Bible says they would…all right in front of our eyes and yet at the very same time, we same Christians are living on this earth as if we are going to live forever?

We live, play, and conduct ourselves as if our tomorrow is something guaranteed to us…NEWS FLASH…it isn’t.

You see as Pastor Stanley said, if we could totally see God as He is, everlasting to everlasting, we would give Him the reverence that He is due because as humans, we are only just a blip on the screen of eternity. In fact, I don’t even think we are a blip or a speck on His eternal timeline. If you really think about it, what is 70 or 80 years to a God who is truly eternal or time less?

Here are a couple of points to consider:

  • If you and I could see God as He truly is we would be much more careful with the time that we have here on this earth.
  • If you and I could see God as He truly is we would probably rethink what we do with our limited time here on this earth and how we choose to spend it.

Think about that for a second…Do you consciously think about how you will spend your time?

Because from my vantage point, it looks like many of us are just living as if the rest of our life is guaranteed and locked in permanent. We even spend our time with our children as if they’re going to be here forever. Whether that means we ignore them or we tolerate them, they too will be gone before we know it.

Moses said in Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days so that we may gain wisdom from you.

When we number our days and gain that wisdom from God, we carefully allocate what we choose to spend our time on each day. In other words, we pay attention to what we do and where we focus our efforts on. Simply put, this life is preparation for the next and our task here on this earth is to accomplish what GOD wants us to accomplish and NOT what WE think we should. As Christians, remembering our time is limited on earth should give us better insight into how we should not waste it.

Please trust me when I say this, wasting time is not what God would have us do while we are here on earth.

One more thing to consider:

Pastor Stanley made the point that because my time is limited means I need to limit what I do. In other words, don’t throw yourself into every single thing you are asked to participate in as well as for your kids.

You know exactly what I mean…

Busy is good…crazy busy, stressful busy, that is not careful allocation of the time we have here on earth. Something to think about…

Guys, when I heard this message it hit me between the eyes and spiritually speaking, I hope it does for you too…

Until next time guys…

 

Is Fear or Humility your Motivator?

Posted: March 21, 2015 in Something to think about
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humility

In my own life, I have found that fear can be a very strange motivator. In the heat of the moment it can cause us to move towards both good and bad behaviors. Sometimes fear can cause the hero in us to come storming out of the depths of our core ready to take on anything…

Other times fear can also cause some of us to cower in the corner and be almost paralyzed. Either way, fear has very different reactions for each of us…with none of them predictable.

I have written about fear before in past posts but I felt the need to revisit it again because of some recent reading in the Bible where once again I learned more about the absolute might of our Lord God. It has always amazed me that God describes Himself as “Love” as well as our “sanctuary of refuge” yet throughout the Bible He reminds us that we need to fear and dread Him as well. Those have always seemed completely opposite to me, but then let me remind you of the love of your earthly father. On one hand he is the one who teaches and helps guide us along our path as we grow but yet when we do wrong, he is there to punish us and remind us that there is always a consequence for sin. At the same time, we experience both fear of the punishment and love from the same person because he is a father who loves his children.

The Lord God Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary. Isaiah 8:13-14a

But as I think about this world around me and our human nature I think that without actual fear in our relationship with God, humanity would become to comfortable and relaxed towards Him…oh wait…many of us ARE to comfortable and relaxed and that my friends, I believe, is a big mistake.

We cannot forget that no matter what is going on right now…He is God and we are not. Everyday the business of life piles up in front of us and we get distracted and diluted with our responsibilities. Trust me when I tell you this guys, I am speaking to myself just as much as my audience. We cannot be too busy to be humble in the sight of God…to recognize His might as well as His love for us.

This is simply a friendly reminder for all of us. If we can maintain that fear relationship with God, there is a humility there in all of us that God can use. When you focus on maintaining that condition of the heart, that Humility…well simply put, life is better because the joy of the Lord will be your strength.

Remember Proverbs 22:4

Humility and fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life…

I don’t know about you but I could use all three of those…

 

Until next time guys…

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