Re-framing the debate (Part 2)

 

When trying to win the day in an argument, the way the topic is framed can make all the difference in the world. Sometimes when the issue is posed from an improper perspective the arguments being made can seem to make sense. However, when you shift the perspective to the correct starting point, and the proper light, you can clearly see it for what it is.

When I posed the question in part 1 of this post asking, in essence, “Why would you want to change something that has been proven to work through countless ages past?” , I think I actually know the answer. I believe the answer is that some people aren’t working towards an end-game. There is no means to an end with them. The means are an end in themselves. They do because they want, regardless of the outcome. So, in essence, they will go after whatever they want without giving thought to the consequences. With these people you can make all the arguments in the world and you will never make any headway. There is a contingent of people, however, where you have room to reason with them and bring them over to your way of thinking.

Besides the fact that there has been little push-back to the challenge on traditional values, and that we largely haven’t given any compelling answers, I also believe part of the problem is that we have allowed them to ask the questions. We have allowed them to ask the questions asking, “Why aren’t these things OK?” They are challenging the foundations of our very way of life, many of which are the founding principles of our society, and have contributed to much of its success. We should be asking them the questions. The burden of proof should be on them, not us. They need to give answers about why we should allow the things, which amount to moral rot, to run rampant through our communities.

But if those wanting to challenge the conservative values of our society want an answer, I will give them an answer. The answer is this: When you try to normalize what are, and have largely been throughout history, aberrant behaviors, then you are at risk of that society’s disintegration. When you run rough-shod over traditional morals and beliefs that have been the moorings for a society for generations, you will eventually end up adrift without a rudder. Regardless of your belief system, I can assure you of this: A moral break-down in a society directly correlates to a societal breakdown. The moral fabric, when undone, will eventually undo everything else. History alone tells us as much. The rise and fall of successful societies correlates with a moral belief system. You may not see it right away, but you will eventually see it.

But here’s an even better question, “When did we ever get the idea that we can do whatever we want?” What other scenario in life would illustrate that’s the case? There are absolutes and laws governing everything else in the known world. The reality is that doing whatever you want leads to more than you want. A life without restraint ends up consuming you until there’s no life left. That’s why there are restrictions on our behavior. It not only benefits others, but ourselves as well.

 

…Let’s go deeper

As believers in a Christian community we have the privilege and responsibility to stand as a bulwark against ideas and belief systems that directly challenge right ways of thinking. We shouldn’t be set back on our heels by these challenges. Whether or not people agree with our faith, and in addition to the fact that God is in our favor, the evidence is in our favor as well. But we need to stand apart from the world in order to stand at all.
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AV 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,” God’s call to us is to be a separate and holy people, consecrated to Him.. There are many instances in the Bible where the people of Israel were called to separate themselves from surrounding cultures that tried to embed themselves into their ways and beliefs. God continually called them to not allow a worldly system to intermingle with theirs. In some ways this has happened to us today. We have become normalized. The temperature on the pot of water has slowly been turned up without us noticing that it’s getting too hot. We need to jump out of the pot!

AV 1 Peter 2:9: “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” We have been called out of darkness. The reason is so that we can reflect the praises of God and be light in a darkened world. This is the reason we were chosen.

Ginger is a light brown root having a distinctive taste and qualities making it a much-coveted herb due to high amounts of Vitamin C, magnesium and other minerals. viagra from uk And it doesn’t need to be a website that looks like it was built in 1993 either, because there are a number of fake and fraudulent websites that sell discover description online cialis without prescription will also have a list of the main types of headaches. Many men take help from advanced medicines like best price vardenafil cheap kamagra sildenafil to deal with impotence. This would improve sildenafil pill the sexual life of a person. AV James 4:2-3: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.” Often we ask for things and we don’t receive them. They are sometimes desires of the flesh rather than desires of the heart. This not only illustrates the world, but sometimes us as Christians. There are some things we can’t have, but there are some things we can. Yet, we not only ask for things for the wrong reasons, but in the wrong ways. We sometimes don’t ask God for these things, remembering that He is our source, with a proper heart, and our desires and needs being subject to His will.

AV Matthew 21:44: “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” There are two ways for anyone to go. One is when we willingly submit to God and go through a breaking process. This involves God helping us to see our need for Him and re-aligning our will with His. It’s a sometimes painful process but brings about a fruit-bearing Christian life. The other way is to be subjected to the full judgment of God. This results in a life ending in destruction because of people wanting to do things their own way.

AV John 16:8: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” One day all the things the world seems to be getting away with will come to an end. God will finally judge and bring in to proper order the things that have been out of kilter for so long. But we should remember this when we see all the wrong happening in the world. This is only for a season. The day is coming when all things will be set in order.

AV 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,”

AV 1 Peter 2:9: “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

AV James 4:2-3: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.”

AV Matthew 21:44: “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

AV John 16:8: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”

Re-framing the debate (Part 1)

 

It seems like the side that wants to hold on to what would be called—traditional values—is losing the battle. Why are values and traditions we have held onto for centuries being called into question now? Also, why does the side calling for—what would be labeled—a “progressive” change seem to be succeeding?

I’m not against change when it’s positive change. However, I am against change when it’s going to lead us down a dark road. I’m not against questioning things to examine whether they make sense. It seems, though, that one side has asked the questions, while the other side has ended up, cowering in the corner, without providing any meaningful answers to the questions. And so, in the absence of valid answers, the march toward the edge of the cliff commences.

I hate to get political. Yet, it’s difficult not to, as these ideas are daily debated and wrestled over in the political arena. The ideas being challenged like traditional families, the value of the unborn life, and the value of generally moral behavior aren’t things to be pushed aside like they don’t matter or have a direct impact in our daily lives.

There are two schools of thought which are directly opposed to one another. One side believes that there are a set of rules outside of us, irrevocable, and unchangeable—set as guides to lead us to a peaceful and happy life. Another side believes that the rules are defined by us and take on a malleable form that can be re-made into whatever image we like. So, it really all starts with our world-view. One side believes in a creator, God, while the other side believes we are the creator. I happen to be on what would be labeled the conservative side, involving a faith in God. But regardless of your worldview, I believe meaningful answers can be given.

I believe part of the reason we are losing the battle is that we have allowed the other side to frame the debate in their own terms. And we have just stood there and watched on the sidelines while they do it. They have challenged the traditional values and morals of our society and there has been little to no push-back. Why? Because we don’t know why we believe what we believe. And we don’t know how to accurately articulate what we do believe. We have allowed them to ask the questions about why these things are important without giving an answer. When a way of life which has proven to work and produce robust societies—content and peaceful, not only morally, and spiritually, but economically, and unflaggingly productive in industry, then I think an even more important question needs to be asked: “Why would you want to change it?”

Let me ask you this: If there is no God-ordained moral right or wrong, then what is the moral right or wrong? And who determines what that is? Some would say, “Well, we do.” Ok, but everyone has different ideas about what that is. Most people believe that there is a moral right and wrong. They just disagree about what it is. So, then what do you do? If there is no moral compass, then which way is true North? We don’t decide which way the compass points, do we? The compass points true North regardless of what we believe. The fact of the matter is that there are moral laws that exist that can’t be changed. Whether other people recognize that fact is beside the point. I like how C. S. Lewis described things in regards to moral and spiritual truths. He said something to the effect, “The thing that tells which note to be played cannot be the note itself.” Using sheet music as an analogy, he so accurately described spiritual truths and our sometimes flawed view of them. He was saying that we all have an inner sense of right and wrong. That, however, can’t come from us. That reality, itself, points to the presence of a creator.

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

 

AV Romans 1:20: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” While many people can try to openly deny the presence of a creator, they willingly deny a large body of evidence to the contrary. All of creation shows an order and complexity. Order and complexity points to design. And design points to a designer. Whatever case someone may try to make to the contrary, these things are hard to ignore. The Bible calls this being “without excuse”.
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AV Colossians 1:16: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Not only does creation point to being God-created, the Bible directly tells us so. I find it helpful to remind myself that all things that I see, and feel, and am aware of are a direct result of God’s creative power. The reason I find it helpful is the comfort it gives me in knowing that there is nothing in my life that falls outside of His scope. There is nothing that is not subject to Him and His authority. That means He has power over all the problems I face.

Moreover, it is also beneficial in the treatment of samples of levitra other diseases. Other factors that play an important role include social isolation and immigration related to social adversity, racial discrimination, family dysfunction, unemployment, and poor housing conditions. viagra levitra Here are few of them: Ginkgo biloba: It is an efficient herb which can combat the problem cialis on line of impotence with the help of Silagra pills. There has been and remains a long and costly (in terms particularly bulk generic viagra of unnecessary suffering) lag between the development of new knowledge and its effective use. AV Matthew 5:13: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” I would say that in some ways we as Christians have lost our “salt”. We have not effectively engaged our society in such a way that would compel people to hold onto the values we have traditionally considered precious. A defining characteristic of salt is that it preserves and protects. This is the purpose of a community of believers. Salt is also corrosive against the wrong environments. Similarly, we should be corrosive to a world-view that would try to encroach on Biblical values.

AV Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” This is God’s admonishment to Israel and her sins. However, I believe that God’s call to Israel is still His call to us today. I also believe that we have a better chance of bringing non-believers to faith in Christ when we have effectively removed the barriers to their unbelief. We can reason with people and succeed in winning their hearts and minds. And while presenting a view with which others disagree, we don’t have to be needlessly combative. We can attempt to reason with people who genuinely are wanting to know the truth. We can lovingly present to other people the truth that we all need God and His forgiveness.

AV Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].” Another thing to remember is that these things are rooted in a spiritual battle. It can be easy to engage with people mentally while forgetting the spiritual aspects of the situation. There is a battle that we also need to be fighting in the heavenly realm. Bathing everything with prayer is an invaluable aspect of engaging with others to present the truths of the Gospel message.

AV Romans 1:20: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

AV Colossians 1:16: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

AV Matthew 5:13: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

AV Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

AV Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].”

This doesn’t make any sense

 

Why are there so many things in life that don’t make any sense? Good question, huh? I guess I’m a stickler for things adding up, or just being the way they should be. How do we make an accurate analysis of these things and how do we make sense of them?

I’m a casual observer of a lot of daily events. I pay attention to and analyze everything from the somewhat confusing to the truly perplexing. This life is full of them and if I really spent too much time thinking about them it could get depressing. However, I do feel they warrant some exposure in the sense of calling into question some everyday things we have come to just take for granted.

One thing I don’t understand is our entire credit rating system. If I want to take out a loan from my bank or get a car loan at a dealership they need to look up my credit history. They need to determine if I qualify or what my interest rate will be. That credit history is based on my history of borrowing money. But say, I don’t have much of a credit history because I don’t like to borrow money and prefer to pay cash when possible. Therefore, I’m a poor credit risk because of my lack of credit history. In other words, I can’t borrow much money because I don’t have a history of borrowing money. How much sense does that make? I understand they want to see my history and capability of paying back a loan. But what about my history of paying all my other bills on time? And why wouldn’t the fact that I don’t have a history of borrowing money make me a better credit risk? I don’t know. I just think some things are backwards.

There are other things, though, that just involve, at best, conflict of interest and, at worst, outright corruption. For instance, the Governor of New Jersey hiring his own “independent” investigator to look for evidence of corruption in a political scandal. The investigator came away with no evidence of wrong-doing by the Governor. Was that a surprise? That’s not to say he’s definitely guilty, but it’s certainly not conclusive for the purposes of proving innocence, is it?

I was recently reading a story about the executives at Google and their close relationship with the White House. It appears the FTC was close to embarking on an investigation into the company’s search engine business. They were prepared to bring an anti-trust lawsuit against the internet giant. It would have been the highest profile anti-trust lawsuit since the one involving Microsoft in the late nineties. The FTC’s competition staff had determined that the company had used anti-competitive tactics and abused monopoly power that ended up harming users and internet rivals. FTC commissioners, however, voted to end the investigation into the company. There were apparently a number of visits with Google, the FTC and the White House between the staff recommendation and the FTC commissioner’s vote. In fact, since the beginning of the administration, Google employees have visited the White House a total of 230 times. That number of visits certainly gives the opportunity for influence.

Am I condemning people like this Governor, or this company? No, I have no room to speak as to their innocence or guilt. And if they are guilty, I am certainly not condoning that of which they are accused. But what I am trying to illustrate is that their methods or tactics don’t make any sense. Even assuming they cared about conducting their business with the utmost of integrity, they certainly don’t care about the appearance of it. So if guilty, they don’t seem to even care. But if innocent, they certainly aren’t helping themselves in even the appearance of it.

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

 

The thing we always need to remember is that we live in a fallen world. The things we often observe in life aren’t the way things should be, nor are they the way things were designed to be. God created things the way He wanted them to be from the beginning. But then sin entered the world at the Fall, in the Garden, and corrupted everything. So if we often see things that don’t make sense, this is usually why. Knowing this, another thing I have learned is that if we interpret this world according to this world we will be confused. But if we interpret this world according to the Word it will start to make sense. The Bible exposes sin for what it is. It describes why someone acted the way they did. It even explains our own actions. Making sure we view things from the light of God’s Word will give us the right perspective.
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AV 1Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” This is a clear instruction to us to not only do what’s right, but to make sure we are conducting our lives in the most transparent of ways. The idea is that, even if I’m not engaged in wrongdoing, I certainly don’t want to appear to be. This can save a person a lot of unneeded problems. It also is an admonishment for us to stay as far away from sin as possible.

AV Mark 7:21: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,” Hear we get a clear illustration of where sin originates. It starts in our hearts when we allow it to be planted and then grow until it becomes an outward expression of that thing. This is why we need to be so careful in paying attention to our hearts. These things get started and grow sometimes without us realizing it. Regular prayer time and talking to God can reveal these things to us, and God is faithful to help us in these things.
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AV James 1:15: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” This takes us one further. Once that sinful desire in our heart is brought to fruition we engage in a sinful act. Without intervention, we are eventually brought to a full end of destruction manifested in our lives, both spiritually and physically.

AV Psalms 118:8: “[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” One of the main ideas the daily happenings in this world illustrates for us is our need to put our confidence in God and not people. We need to know He is our sure foundation. All other ground is sinking sand.

AV 1 Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” Also important is our need to not cast judgements on people, or even situations, in the here and now. These things will all be sorted out in time, at the end, when the Lord returns. He will make the final judgment and His judgment will be just.

AV 1Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

AV Mark 7:21: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,”

AV James 1:15: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

AV Psalms 118:8: “[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

AV 1 Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

Certain in their uncertainty

 

Some people are really self-assured. They just seem to exude confidence. In some ways I admire this. Yet, in other ways, it makes me wonder. I wonder about the things on which their confidence is based. And I wonder if they have ample reason to be.

Confidence can be a tricky thing. It’s not always as it appears to be. I believe some people are truly confident. You can often tell when it’s genuine. They walk and present themselves in a manner that says, “I know what I’m doing. I’m on a mission and I’m going to bring certain realities to pass in my life.”

I believe, when I look at other people, that they are just projecting a false sense of themselves. They’re not really confident in themselves. However, they do want others to believe that they are. With these types of people it seems clear that they’re just putting on a dog and pony show. They don’t have the tools, or the foundation, for true confidence. However, they do want others to believe that they do. At the end of the day, their public persona seems to be of prime importance to them. I guess the thinking is, “Maybe I’m not really confident, but maybe I can fake it.” The reality is, though, that they’re only fooling themselves. Even if they do end up fooling everyone around them, it doesn’t matter. They’re not living in reality. The confidence they’re projecting can’t really produce positive outcomes in their life, because it’s just a decorative exterior. There’s nothing to base their confidence on. When the chips are down they fold like a cheap lawn chair. Often times, this is when you find out a person’s confidence isn’t real. Their life becomes a shambles.

A truly confident person can actually attain some positive outcomes. They can achieve much of what they set out to do because they believe they can do it. They have a degree of assurance that they have the skills to achieve their goals and dreams. And because of their confidence, they can also withstand some setbacks. They don’t fold under pressure. Or, if they do, it takes a significant amount of pressure to break them. So, true confidence can actually be of some value.

Of course, our confidence should be within reason. And there are limits to the degree to which we can be confident. We don’t know everything. Confidence can easily cross the line and become arrogance. This is something I want to avoid as much as false confidence. For one thing, it’s not attractive. For another, it can get you into just as much trouble as false confidence. Knowing our limits is also of immense value. We can get off into dangerous territory if we just head off and climb a mountain without the adequate skills to do so. Even when we are confident, it should be based in reality. Same goes for water skiing, snow skiing, skydiving, formula 1 racing, piloting helicopters, rocket science…….

 

…Let’s go deeper

As valuable as confidence is, there’s something bigger on which to base our confidence. My limits are often displayed at the outer extremes of my own abilities. At the end of the day, I shouldn’t be self-confident, I should be God-confident.
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The great men of the Bible knew the value of placing their trust in God. However, not all the mighty men of faith started out this way. In the book of Judges an angel appeared unto Gideon. AV Judges 6:12: “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” The angel called him a “mighty man of valour.” If you read the verses following, some of Gideon’s statements wouldn’t reflect that of a confident person. God often sees things we don’t, though. The great thing is knowing that God believes the best in us, even when we have times of self-doubt.

AV Matthew 14:31: “And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” Other times, however, we start out with great faith, but then falter somewhere along the way. This was the case with, Peter, one of the disciples. Jesus called him to step out of the boat and onto the water. I admire Peter’s faith here. Many times we want to fault Peter for doubting. But he had the courage to step out of the boat and onto the water while everyone else was still sitting in the boat. What this illustrates is Peter’s faith in Jesus. He started out well because he kept his eyes on Jesus. He only started to falter when he got his eyes off of Jesus and onto the circumstances of his surroundings. This is why the next verse is so important.
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AV John 15:7: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Jesus gave us this statement as an assurance of our firm standing when we are abiding in Him and His word. Knowing that we’re abiding in Him gives us confidence that we can receive things from Him. It also keeps us tapped into our true source of strength.

AV James 1:6: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Here it’s emphasized for us the importance of our faith. Faith is just really the confidence that we will receive the things we ask for from God. And we can have this assurance when we are abiding in Him and confident in God hearing our prayers.

AV Isaiah 41:10: “Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I think this is important to add here. Sometimes we can easily allow our fears to overwhelm us. God has assured us, though, that we can keep our confidence in Him. We don’t need to fear, or get down, or sway from one way to the other, because He is there to back us up. This is why we can be God-confident.

AV Judges 6:12: “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”

AV Matthew 14:31: “And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

AV John 15:7: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

AV James 1:6: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

AV Isaiah 41:10: “Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
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Maybe I’m not able, but I’m avail-“able”

 

I’ve come across many times in my life when I didn’t feel like I had the ability to be helpful. Maybe you’ve felt the same way. You felt out of your depth and inept. You thought, “There’s got to be somebody better who can help with this.”

Once in a while I will come across a stranded motorist along the road and wonder if I should stop and help. Sometimes I do, but many times I don’t due to circumstances—like I’m late for work, they’re in an area where they can easily get help, or sometimes they already have help. Sometimes, though, I have to admit I just don’t feel capable. I often think there has to be somebody more capable that can help. I mean, I have a modicum of mechanical knowledge, but there are many scenarios I can picture where someone’s automotive complications are beyond my expertise. I would just end up shrugging my shoulders and saying, “I don’t know. Wish I could help.” Sometimes I guess I assume that’s the case. Maybe I shouldn’t assume, though.

The times that I have chosen to help strangers I have usually ended up being helpful. Once in a while people will say they already have help coming. Which is fine. Then I just continue on my way. I can’t actually think of a time where I didn’t know what to do. So, maybe my fears of incompetence are unfounded.

There’s also the line of thinking that, “Well, somebody else will stop to help if I don’t.” But I suppose I also have to consider my thinking in the grand scheme of things. If everyone thought this way, then they might never get any help. I mean, I can’t help everyone in the world. But I can help some of the people in my small world.

Of course, helping a stranded motorist is just one small example of ways that I could offer my assistance. Helping can include volunteering in my community, or at my church, or just helping my neighbor with a landscaping project. I don’t have to be an expert in all these areas to be helpful. Even with my limited knowledge they can put me to work somewhere.

Being concerned with my abilities is maybe just a smokescreen getting in the way of my being helpful. When I focus on my abilities I believe I may be missing the point. Maybe my being helpful shouldn’t be based on my abilities. Maybe my being helpful should be based on my availability. The reality is, just being willing to help is often appreciated by other people. Even if they don’t need help, they appreciate the offer. And usually I am of some assistance. I just need to be willing to offer.

 

…Let’s go deeper

One of the things I’ve realized about God is that He’s not concerned so much with my abilities either. He’s more concerned with my availability. The great thing is God has given us a number of great examples in the Bible of people who didn’t feel capable.
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AV Isaiah 6:8: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me.” Isaiah saw a vision of God here. In verses leading up to this one, Isaiah even expressed his own shortcomings. He said, “Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips.” But this was good. Although Isaiah was overcome by what he had just seen, this statement also demonstrated his humility. Also, he then said, “Send me.” See, Isaiah was willing and available for God to use him.

The best-known way to add vitamin C to the diet and avoid food that will irritate the prostate, such as spicy food, red meat, smoking, drinking alcohol, coffee, etc. levitra sample Are there any Adverse viagra ordering on line Effects when Taking the Medication? Any side effects after taking the medication results in an instant erection. Stem Cell Transplant is a sildenafil for sale new technique in treating Diabetes and hypertension. Vegetables Make sure you get the health levitra uk benefits from a whole range of vegetables. AV Isaiah 1:19, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:” Here, another verse in Isaiah tells us not to just be obedient, but willing. God is concerned about our heart condition. He doesn’t want His people to just be a bunch of disgruntled, but obedient people. He wants us to do things for Him out of a willing heart. Our reward in this is that we not only will have the knowledge of having done His will, but also being blessed because of it. Obedience brings blessing. So, God values an obedient heart.

AV John 14:26: ‘But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Sometimes I don’t feel confident in the knowledge that I will know what to say to people. This is the case when talking to them about God, or in just having the right word of encouragement. One thing we need to always acknowledge is our dependence on the Holy Spirit. When we are humble enough to admit that we don’t have all the answers, this leaves room for God to work in us and through us. He now has a humble and willing vessel. And this is the great thing—He often uses us the greatest when we feel the most inadequate. So, we don’t need to worry about our own abilities. He can still use us.

AV Mark 1:17-18: “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.” Being used by God will involve us letting go of some things. Sometimes that may mean some material things. Maybe it means letting go of a career path, a group of friends, or a just some of your free time. But sometimes it just means letting go of old ways of thinking or doing things. It says, “They forsook their nets”, and this is important—sometimes He wants us to let go of something we’ve been holding onto for too long. Sometimes we need to let go of something difficult for us to release. Because sometimes these things have too high of a position in our hearts. God just wants us to let go of it so we can follow Him with all our hearts. Otherwise, these things can hold us back from Him using our avail-“ability”.

AV Isaiah 6:8: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me.”

AV Isaiah 1:19, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:”

AV John 14:26: ‘But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

AV Mark 1:17-18: “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.”
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Some things never go out of style

 

Some things never go out of style. I guess this is true for good or for ill. When we think about what’s the latest craze in fashion, or technology, or words that become a part of our everyday language, they all have an expiry date on them. Other things, however, stay the same and never change.

The fascinating thing about our culture is how quickly things come and go in the sense of popularity. They become so important at one moment, and then it seems like 15 minutes later no one else even cares about it. Maybe that partly speaks to the fickle nature of people. But I also think it speaks to our short attention spans. We always want the new and latest thing. That’s probably partly an innate inner desire we have. It’s probably also based on our need to fit in. Yet, there’s also a desire we naturally have to keep up with what everyone else is doing.

In that regard, I was thinking about how there are some things that never go out of style. At least, they shouldn’t go out of style. There are things like, being courteous, or respectful, and even lending a helping hand that have always been “in style”, so to speak. Yet, sometimes we see these things becoming more of a rarity in our culture. In bigger cities, it seems, you are less likely to see someone let you in front when you are driving. Being friendly with people also seems to go out the window quicker there as well. So, maybe in that environment, we lose these things quicker than, say, in a small town. Small town people seem to hold onto these things longer than those in a more populated environment. I know driving in a rural country environment, you’ll pass an oncoming car and they’ll often wave to you. It’s not because they know you, but because they’re just being friendly. They haven’t lost that sense of the value of people and watching out for one another.

I suppose, in some respects it’s understandable. I think tensions tend to run high as you get into bigger cities. There are so many people that the opportunities to become frustrated are that much greater. It’s dealing with the multitude that makes it easy to take them for granted. And if you live in a rural environment you always have the option of escaping to your humble country retreat. In the city it’s hard to escape.

I guess that’s why it’s important to make an extra effort to hold onto these things. Good values aren’t like wearing a bad Christmas sweater. We’re not going to look at a picture of ourselves in 10 years and regret our decision to treat people respectfully, or to reach out and lend a helping hand. Making sure our attitude towards others remains appreciative and respectful keeps us from bitterness and rude behavior. Also, not letting other’s poor behavior to infect mine is important. If I run into a person acting rudely, maybe I just need to cut them some slack and say, “Well, maybe they’re just having a bad day.”

 

…Let’s go deeper

AV Luke 6:31: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” This one is often known as the golden rule. This one is just a good basic rule of thumb for our behavior. If we just treat people in ways we would like to be treated, a lot of tensions in relationships could be avoided. Putting ourselves in other shoes often gives us a more accurate perspective than just looking at things from our own.
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AV Romans 12:10: “[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” Our hearts should start from the point of love, not only towards all people, but especially towards other believers. Not only is this important for unity in the Church, but also in displaying that love to others who are looking from the outside. That, in itself, is a witness and testimony to those who are not yet believers. They can see this as a confirmation of God at work in our hearts.

If you will recognize male enhancement reviews you will be best price for tadalafil aware of the maker’s profile, leads and attitude, product ingredients, what makes it unique from other products, refund rules, customers help, and truth behind the testimonials. Generic medications are composed of the same online cialis no prescription active chemical elements) to branded pills, but have another name. cialis 20mg no prescription Mechanism of action: Prostate cancers are sensitive to testosterone and estrogen in the body. It is not a cause for erectile dysfunction as it viagra no prescription india cute-n-tiny.com was trumpeted to be. AV 1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous:” Our behavior is one of the defining attributes of our character. I believe our heart condition is very important. However, we need to display a good heart in our behavior to others. We may have the best of intentions, but it’s in displaying that to others where the reality of our character is manifested. If my heart is right, that’s great. Now I just need to be sure I’m displaying that heart condition to other people.

AV Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” The things we say are some of the impactful things as a part of our behavior. Being gracious in our speech to others is a great starting point. The reason is it creates a safe and fruitful environment for engaging with others. Other people open up more when we start from this perspective. Also this gives us the opportunity to impact them in a positive way. We have the occasion now to add to our speech something with a little added punch. Much like salt makes a change in its environment, so can our speech. We can make a positive and, even, life-changing impact just with the things we say.

AV Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” Most importantly, we need to recognize our need for the Holy Spirit in these aspects of our behavior. Letting the Holy Spirit not only guide and direct, but also change our hearts is the avenue by which these changes take place in our hearts, and then show in our outward behavior. It’s an inward change that is expressed outwardly. That’s allowing the Holy Spirit to flow in our lives—another thing that doesn’t go out of style.
AV Luke 6:31: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

AV Romans 12:10: “[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”

AV 1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous:”

AV Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

AV Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

Do you really want to know the answer?

 

Have you realized that there are a number of reasons for a person to ask someone a question? The reasons for the question can be more complicated than the question itself. Sometimes you can easily discern the reason behind a question. Other times the reasons can be harder to detect.

One reason people ask questions is because they are looking for a certain answer. This is what lawyers often do. They ask a question trying to get you to a specific answer. In fact, lawyers often say, “Don’t ask the question if you don’t know the answer.” See, they aren’t asking a question because they don’t know. They are asking a question because they do know, but want to draw a specific answer out of you. And for a lawyer it’s dangerous to start down a line of questioning without knowing what the witness is going to say. They might get more than they bargained for. For a lawyer, a question with an indefinite answer is like allowing yourself to stand in front of a blind-folded magician while he gets to throw knives at you. Hopefully they miss.

Sometimes a question is rhetorical. Like when something happens to someone that isn’t a very common occurrence. A person might say, “How often does that happen?” They aren’t expecting an answer. It’s just a statement, in a sense, of the rarity of the occurrence. In fact, if you were to give them an answer they might think something is wrong with you. A person would have to take an extremely literal interpretation of things and not understand any nuance in order to actually give an answer.

Sometimes people are asking a question just to get you to think. These can sometimes be the best questions, because the question will get you to think in ways you haven’t before. And often these questions can help us to come to some of the most enlightening conclusions. These kinds of questions can actually be the most helpful. It not only forces you to examine some, maybe, falsely held notions, but also guides you to the right conclusions.

Sometimes people ask questions as just a way of mocking you. Like someone asking, “Hey, did they use a weed whacker to cut your hair?” That’s less of an honest question and more of a statement about the quality of your haircut. Based on that question, it must not be too good. Of course, these questions aren’t helpful. Usually they just illustrate people’s cruelty.

Finally, sometimes people ask a question because they genuinely want to know the answer. These are the most up-front and honest questions. Kind of like a child when they ask questions. They ask questions about everything because they just have a desire to know. These are some of the most helpful, because once you know the answer you can actually do something with that new information. So, the question we need to ask ourselves is, “Do we really want to know the answer?”

 

…Let’s go deeper

Many questions are asked in life. The main question, though, is, “What kind of questions are we asking?” What do we want to know, and why? Not only that, but what kind of questions are being asked of us?
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AV Matthew 21:25-26: “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.” Jesus asked a question here of the Chief priests. These were the supposed enlightened ones, the erudite religious leaders of Israel. Jesus asked them a question he knew they couldn’t answer. What’s interesting is that their non-answer was actually an answer in itself. They answered by saying they couldn’t tell. That, in itself, illustrated they didn’t know everything. They were humbled and brought face-to-face with a truth by a simple question.

AV John 18:38: “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault [at all].” Pilate asks, “What is truth?” In verses prior Jesus had just explained to Pilate that He had come to bear witness unto the truth, and that those who hear is voice are of the truth. I believe Pilate’s question here was a rhetorical one. He wasn’t really wanting to know the answer. His question about truth was actually a statement about him thinking truth was an unknowable quantity. I believe, especially in his day and age, that he had heard so many people’s versions of the truth that he questioned whether there was a truth. Much like today, in fact. I think a lot of people today end up asking this question, “What is truth?” They’ve heard so many versions of it that they don’t even want to know the answer anymore.

Most natural treatments have been around for centuries and have proven to be effective in many viagra overnight delivery cases are: 1. With the traffic within the street, it’d be cheap tadalafil no prescription terribly onerous for you to be within the school on time. Healthy digestion actually https://unica-web.com/films_for_the_unica_2005_competition.pdf viagra österreich depends upon alkalinity of these solutions. Easier and fast-acting, proven pleasure. discount viagra canada AV Luke 22:64: “And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?” These were the men that took Jesus before He was crucified on the Cross. These are the questions of a mocker. They don’t really want to know the answers. They didn’t want to know the answer about who Jesus is. So, the question, itself, is fruitless for them. In order to come to the truth, the questions have to come from an honest heart.

AV John 3:3-4: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” I believe Nicodemus was asking an honest question here, much like a child asking a simple question. He truly wanted to know. Of course, he didn’t understand Jesus was talking about a spiritual rebirth. I believe that his question was the question of a true seeker. It was an honest question from an honest heart.

AV Matthew 16:15: “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” Jesus asked this question of the disciples. Peter answers correctly and says, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus asks the same question of each of us today. Who do we say that He is? This is the ultimate question. This is the question that determines my relationship with Him. Is He just a great man who lived in ages past? Is He just a prophet? Is He just a great teacher? Or, is He the Christ, the Son of the living God, my Lord and my Savior?

AV Matthew 21:25-26: “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.”

AV John 18:38: “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault [at all].”

AV Luke 22:64: “And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?”

AV John 3:3-4: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

AV Matthew 16:15: “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?”

The situation doesn’t look good

 

I have had many times when I thought that the situation didn’t look good from the outside. Sometimes we face situations where it appears that we are facing insurmountable odds. And things seem nearly impossible.

I remember a number of scenarios, in the sports world, where this seemed to be the case. Many times a team can look like they are down for the count, and there’s no way they can win. Then they all of a sudden do what seems like the impossible.

One of these situations that comes to mind is this last Super Bowl. It was the Seattle Seahawks facing the New England Patriots. It was getting close to the end and it looked like Seattle pretty much had the game won. However, several unusual scenarios played out that ultimately allowed New England to come away with the win. So, it looked like from the outside, that a Seattle win was inevitable. But the exact opposite happened. I think this is a perfect example of a situation where we should not judge the situation by how it looks. Also, it provides for us a good example of why it’s good to never give up, regardless of how the situation looks.

I believe my perspective, now, on athletics is much different than it was in earlier years. I didn’t always see the value in sports and the value they provide. I kind of thought, “Yeah, this is entertaining. But at the end of the day, what does it matter who wins in this contest?” And they’re not important in the grand scheme of things. But now I see the value they provide in being a microcosm of life. They illustrate and teach for a lot of us the values we need later in life. They are character building exercises. They show us the value of teamwork, integrity, and a “never say die” attitude. So, in a sense they are a training ground for life, especially in our younger years. Learning these things at a young age is also of paramount importance. That way they get instilled and these things come as second-nature. You learn how to work as a team at your job because you’ve worked as a team before. You learn to play by the rules. You learn to not give up at the first sign of difficulty.

So, maybe the sports world is one of the best platforms in which to learn these lessons. The end game, itself, isn’t a life or death thing. So, the loss isn’t the worst thing in the world. But we learn how to win later on in the things that really matter. Those times when things really look down and the stakes are high. You don’t know how you’re going to provide for your family. You don’t know how to get your finances in order. You don’t know how to fight that illness and overcome it. It’s a situation that doesn’t look good. But that’s when we need to remember to not go by how it looks.

 

…Let’s go deeper

Regardless of who we are, we’re eventually going to run into situations where we feel like circumstances are going to crush us. It’s very easy to allow our senses to overwhelm us. But we can’t allow these things to affect, or define, our reality.
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AV 1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].” Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed in the area of temptation. We can feel that our temptations are going to consume us. But here’s a promise from God that he won’t allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to overcome it. God is faithful to provide a way of escape for us every time. No matter what it looks like, this is a promise we have from Him. Being conscious of this is of prime importance. Remember this in the situation you’re facing.

AV Philippians 4:6: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” If we’re to be overcomers in life we have to have prayer as a main focal point of that. We need to incorporate an active prayer life into the situations we go through. We can’t allow anxiety to overcome us. Praying to God in these things with a thankful heart is what will allow God to turn that situation around for us. Sometimes He will directly intervene. Other times He will show us something we need to do to bring that situation around in our favor.

For detailed process of how to avail such services and how these counselors can help you overcome impotence effectively. sildenafil super active It is observed that buy viagra for women http://robertrobb.com/2015/11/ penegra is one of the best herbal remedies to tackle sexual disorders like lack of self-esteem, self-confidence and more. Jaiphal offers effective cure for cialis online cheapest see over here now depression, erectile dysfunction, insomnia and anxiety. These adult toys come in various materials from silicone cialis professional uk to cyberskin to latex. AV Luke 1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Remembering who God is and that He can do the impossible gives us confidence in all situations in life. We aren’t confident because of ourselves, but because of Him. It’s He that has the power over our circumstances in life. We don’t need to wonder if He can do it. Our confidence needs to be in Him and in that knowledge.

AV Micah 7:8: “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me.” There are situations where other people look at our lives, from the outside, and we look like we’re done for. But even though it looks like that to them, we have a knowledge in our hearts of the bigness, and goodness of God. Even if others don’t have this confidence, we do. We may be surrounded by darkness, but God is the light in our lives.

AV Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” We need to be confident in this knowledge—that God has empowered us to overcome whatever situations we face. When our strength is in Him, and not in ourselves, we are resting on solid ground. In the end, when God is in the picture, how the situation looks doesn’t matter.

AV 1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].”

AV Philippians 4:6: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

AV Luke 1:37: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

AV Micah 7:8: “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me.”

AV Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Maybe “sad” is OK once in a while

 

I think in this day and age, and the culture we live in today, that we’ve become afraid to display anything less than a positive demeanor. We don’t seem to see the value in letting a negative emotion play out. Maybe it’s pride. Maybe we are so focused on being happy that we think a true state of sadness will lead us in the wrong direction. But maybe we don’t understand that in order to get to a truly healthy and happy state we need to allow the sadness to have its day.

Of all the emotional states, no one aims for sadness. In fact we seem to run from it. We want “happy”, right? However, happy all the time just isn’t feasible. There are going to be times of profound sadness. Recognizing that reality is a healthy place to start. Otherwise, we’re going be surprised when it comes, and maybe even run from it. So, sad from time to time is allowable. But sad all the time—well then there is something wrong and that should be addressed.

Being in denial of our state of sadness can be one of the worst places for us to dwell. I’ve started to think that one of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves is to just take a kind of mental inventory of our emotional state from time to time. Not all the time, but just once in a while, or maybe when we feel it’s needed. The reason being, is that we often get so busy and distracted in life that we don’t even realize how we feel about anything. We, in a sense, become disconnected from ourselves. It’s that disconnect that becomes a concern. It’s kind of like two parts of ourselves going in separate directions. You’re fighting against yourself without realizing it. This is what can create frustration and an unhealthy state in a person.

Counselors can often be a great help in helping us to identify some of these things. Especially when we can’t get a handle on, or really figure out, where our emotions are coming from. They can sometimes ask the right questions to draw the root cause out of us. But I also wonder if we can do this ourselves sometimes. Be our own counselor, in a sense. Maybe we can put ourselves on the couch and come up with some positive outcomes. I know I have had many times where I wasn’t fully aware of how I felt about something until I took the time and really thought about it.

I believe sadness is like any physical symptom. It can be a signal that something is wrong. We just need to take the time to figure out to what it’s pointing. Sometimes a light bulb will go off and we will realize, “Oh, I didn’t know it was that simple?” We can discover that these things don’t have to be difficult. We just need to change our approach to them.

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

 

 

Like I was saying previously, being sad isn’t something of which to be afraid. But recognizing the sadness can often produce in us a positive outcome. This way we can get at the root issue.
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AV 2 Corinthians 7:10: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” So, what is godly sorrow? When I think of godly sorrow, it means true sorrow. These aren’t crocodile tears. It means someone who is truly sorry and wants to change. Sorrow that leads to repentance. That means that the person asks forgiveness because they want to start over and move in a new direction—the direction that God wants. That’s why this type of sorrow is so valuable. This type of sorrow is not only something we shouldn’t run from, but something to be embraced.

Erections of the man should be proper enough that is you need to consult your physician before you start administering increased dosage. purchased that cialis sale These are found in the form of oral pills, polo ring type, the chewing gum type, in the form of polo ring type. cheap canadian viagra Therefore, it is one of the proven viagra on sale cheapest herbal remedies like Musli Strong capsules. This leads to depression and lack of cialis generic canada satisfaction of with their partners. AV Matthew 5:3: “Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit are blessed because they willingly admit that something is wrong. Then they can search for a solution. This begins with us recognizing our need for a savior. A poor spirit recognizes the truly dejected state they’re in, and the reasons why. When we come to Christ we see ourselves for as we truly are. We recognize the mess we are in. It also takes humility to do this. This is why a ‘poor in spirit’ person is blessed. And God is pleased in this.

AV Hebrews 12:11: “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Sometimes we are chastened of God by our own wrongdoing. This can definitely lead to sadness. But once again, this sadness is a good thing, because like this verse says, it brings the fruit of righteousness. Sadness which leads to a positive change in us isn’t something to be afraid of.

AV Romans 8:1: “[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” There are also times when we may feel bad for something, but it’s not really because we did something wrong. Although, we may feel like we did something wrong. That’s when we are under condemnation. This is another good reason for us to examine ourselves. It helps us to know whether we are experiencing something genuine, or something manufactured. Sometimes the condemnation comes from the enemy. Other times we can just be beating ourselves up. Sometimes it’s both. But it’s good for us to recognize which.

AV Psalms 34:17: “[The righteous] cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” One of the great assurances that we have as believers is that God is always there in our situation. He hears our cries when we cry out in our genuinely desperate state. We need, and He wants, for us to recognize our need for Him. And our cries lead to His deliverance—another good reason not to fear sadness.

AV 2 Corinthians 7:10: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

AV Matthew 5:3: “Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

AV Hebrews 12:11: “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

AV Romans 8:1: “[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

AV Psalms 34:17: “[The righteous] cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

Going Above and Beyond

 

Sometimes it’s tempting to do something just good enough or maybe even sub-par. Many times it’s because we’re just tired, hungry, or maybe we feel like we don’t care. But the best outcomes are usually produced when we give things our best effort.

Many times giving something our best just involves going above and beyond what’s required. I mean, we could just do the bare minimum and get by with it. But I believe a person who goes above what’s required really demonstrates the quality of their character. And the reality is we may not always see the benefit of our efforts at the time. Sometimes we may never directly see the benefit of those efforts. But regardless of whether the benefits are known by you, they are often noticed, or realized, by someone else.

I think about myself and how I go about my workday. I examine myself in areas where I could improve. Sometimes I notice things where I could do something a little better. Maybe I’ve become complacent. Or, maybe I’m just doing it without thinking. I find it’s good, though, that I keep challenging myself to become better. It not only benefits me, but others as well. So, it’s a win-win.

So, in that vein, I’ve tried to notice areas, lately, where I could maybe pick up the slack. Instead of just letting someone else take care of something, I try to take care of it myself. It can become easy to just let someone else always do something. One of the patterns of thinking it can be easy to get into, especially in the corporate or business world, is the thinking that says, “That’s not my job.” And part of that pattern of thinking is just a result of the corporate culture. Every person has their specifically assigned duties that fall explicitly within the prevue of their job title. Everything is clearly defined in regards to what each person should do for the purposes of eliminating confusion. So, some problems they run into may fall under the job duties of the person next to them. This can even come down to things as simple as finding a piece of trash on the floor. It can be easy to think, “Well, that’s the custodian’s job.” However, doing something as simple as picking it up shows you care, and that you care about the success of your company.

Many times we get so stuck in our rigid set of duties that we don’t think about helping another member of the team, even if it’s not specifically your job to do so. But that’s what being a part of a team is about—filling in the gaps. Just think if a football team acted with the mentality of, “That’s not my job.” They probably wouldn’t be too successful. And so it is with any other group or team. Being willing to help out where we’re needed not only helps others, but helps the entire group with which we’re involved.

 

…Let’s go deeper

I believe that when we do more than required God is honored by it. That’s being a person of excellence. We’re doing what is pleasing to him, and also representing Him well.
AV Matthew 5:41: “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” Not only are we compelled, as Christians, to help others when we can, but God calls us to do more than is even asked. This is a quality of a person of character. It’s not very inspiring when you see someone helping just enough to get by. Someone whose hear is really in the project is someone who is willingly asking what more they can do to help.
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AV Colossians 3:23: “And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Not only should we be ready and willing to go the extra mile in helping someone else, but we should be doing it with an attitude as though we were doing directly to the Lord. In the end our heart attitude is what matters. It’s good to remember that while we are serving people we are actually serving God. Ultimately He is the aim of our endeavors.

AV Proverbs 17:27: “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: [and] a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” Have you ever noticed that wise people often use fewer words? They have a certain economy of speech that is unique and often refreshing. But more importantly wise people are of an excellent spirit. They strive and reach for excellence in all areas of their lives.
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AV Daniel 6:3: “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit [was] in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.” Many times when we maintain a spirit of excellence it gets noticed by those in leadership. And God can use this to promote us in whatever position we are in. Daniel was a good example of a person of an excellent spirit. Daniel’s excellent spirit brought him into favor with the King and he was promoted because of it.
AV Ephesians 5:27” “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Finally, God is looking to bring His entire church to a higher level of excellence. A church with people that conduct themselves with the highest ideals and moral character. People whose heart is right towards God and towards people. People who are perfect in heart, without spot or wrinkle.

AV Matthew 5:41: “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.”

AV Colossians 3:23: “And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

AV Proverbs 17:27: “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: [and] a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.”

AV Daniel 6:3: “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit [was] in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

AV Ephesians 5:27” “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”