My Moment of Truth

 

It’s interesting how sometimes you get help from the most unexpected of places. We often don’t have the mental knowledge in order to attain our goals. Sometimes we need help from someone who has a connection, or connections. One thing I’ve found to be true in life is that it’s not always what you know, but who you know.

I’ve had it happen a number of times in my life where I had been given special privilege because I knew the right person or people. There are two times in particular where this was the case. Both of them were cases concerning jobs that I had acquired. Actually, my last two jobs that was the case.

The one job was at a detail shop. I knew that the father of a friend I had graduated high school with ran a detail shop. So, I gave this friend a call. I let him know that I was looking for a job and asked if his Dad was hiring. I told him I had some experience, as I had done the same kind of work for my brother who owned his own shop. He responded by saying that his Dad had actually had a long-time employee just quit and would be excited to get somebody with experience. Anyway, it ended up that I was the one excited because I ended up getting the job. And it ended up being a good job and he was a great boss, too.

Another job I got was due to a friend referring me for a job inside the company we both already worked for. He had heard about a position opening in the department he worked in. He thought I might be a good fit. It was in a field that I didn’t have any experience but he knew that they wanted somebody who already worked within the company. So, I at least met that requirement. I think he helped push for me too. I ended up getting that job as well which also ended up being a good job.

An interesting side note: one thing I learned fairly early in life when searching for a job was that the jobs in the want ads may not be the best place to start. Some of those jobs may be difficult to fill because they are difficult jobs. So, they could be in there for a reason, in other words. Not always, but sometimes. Another downside is, even if they are great jobs, you’re going to have a lot more competition in getting selected for the position. Anyway, what I learned to do was to just start applying at places I think I would like to work, whether they were hiring or not, and whether I had experience or not. This gives you a greater probability of finding a job you enjoy, and it eliminates most of your competition. So, when they do want to hire somebody your application will be on file and near the top of the list.

 

…Let’s go deeper

I have to say before going any further that I know that the examples I gave of the jobs I had gotten were just God opening those doors for me. God can open doors that no one can close. I give Him the praise and glory for it.
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Here’s a great example of God working through people in the favor of God’s people. In the Old Testament book of Ezra, a man, whose name the book bears, responded to a decree by the Persian King, Cyrus. In Ezra 1:2 it says, “Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah.” So, Ezra along with a group of Priests and Levites, responded to this commission to build the house of God. This was actually the rebuilding of the house of God. Of course, this King was being moved by God to do this. So, Ezra was not only backed by God but by this earthly king.

Later on, after they had built the foundation, they ran into some adversaries. These adversaries claimed to seek God as they did. But they ended up convincing the next King of Persia to cause them to cease the rebuilding of the temple. It says, though, that in the second year of the reign of Darius that the prophets prophesied and the people began building the temple again. They received resistance again from the governor, Tatnai, asking them who commanded them to build this temple. They told him it was by the decree of Cyrus. So, Tatnai asked the King to search the records to see if this was true. Well, Darius searched and found out that the decree of Cyrus that they claimed was true. Tatnai was ordered to leave them alone and allow the project to continue and even that tax money be used for the project. The king even decreed a harsh punishment for anyone who opposed the building of the temple.

This seemed to be even stronger support than the first king had offered. Here’s Ezra’s response in Ezra 7:27 “Blessed [be] the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put [such a thing] as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which [is] in Jerusalem:” Even Ezra was amazed at the support they had gotten from an earthly king. See, this just shows us today how that God can work in the hearts of anyone to work in our favor. God will not only work in the hearts of believers for our favor, but non-believers as well. In this case, God worked in the hearts of these worldly kings to support the work of God.

So, sometimes it’s about who we know here on Earth, but it’s always about the God we know in Heaven. Either way, He can give us the inside track in life.

Ezra 1:2 it says, “Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah.”

Ezra 7:26 “Blessed [be] the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put [such a thing] as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which [is] in Jerusalem:”

 

At some point we all will need help from someone else, and someone else will need help from us. We have many opportunities to help other people in minor or major ways. I know I’ve had opportunities to help people. Part of what has made me want to help them is remembering the times when someone else helped me.

Most of the examples I can think of are being a stranded motorist. Sometimes I was the stranded motorist. I remember one time, I think I was on my way back home from Colorado. I was probably a good 5 hours away from home. My vehicle just died right as I pulled up to a stop sign. The amazing thing is that I didn’t have to wait long for help. The vehicle that pulled up right behind me offered to help. I was pretty thankful. I believe it was the alternator. They gave me a jump start and helped to get my vehicle going again. Not only that, but my vehicle died a couple of times on the way into town. They stayed with me and jumped my vehicle again until I made it into town. Without them helping me I never would have made it.

Anyway, this and other experiences has made me more willing to help other people when they have needed help. I guess it’s that empathy thing. I didn’t like being stranded myself and appreciated someone stopping to help me when that happened to me. Usually the people you run into are really appreciative. Well, they’re not appreciative if you actually run into them, but you know what I mean. But I suppose the more of a sacrifice it is for you, the more appreciative they are. They realize that you didn’t have to stop and give them your time and effort. There’s also the fact that it feels good to help someone else.

When we help other people we make this world a better place to live. We’re also making someone else’s journey a little easier. Even some of the smallest gestures can be a big deal to someone else. I think sometimes we’re afraid of getting over-invested in other people’s lives. I don’t think we should be. I can’t really think of a time when helping someone else ended up being a bad thing for me. Yeah, maybe it’s a risk. But if it is, it’s small. Life itself is a risk, isn’t it? I guess what I’m saying is that I can’t think of a time where I regretted helping someone. Of course, there are many ways we can be helpful. It doesn’t have to be a stranded motorist.

Here’s a good one for you to try. If you want to see your friends come up with all kinds of interesting excuses, let them know you’re moving and you need volunteers to help. Ah, the true test of friendship. Just kidding. Moving’s no fun, even if you’re doing it for yourself you don’t even want to do it. So, don’t be too hard on them.

 

…Let’s go deeper

In the story of the Good Samaritan Jesus talks about ‘Loving your neighbor as yourself’. A lawyer asks Him ‘who is his neighbor’. Jesus then tells him the story of the Good Samaritan. A man was left stripped and beaten along the side of the road. Two people, a priest and a Levite, pass by on the other side of the road. But one man, a Samaritan stops and helps this man. Jesus asks the man He’s telling the story, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The man answers, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” This is one of the Commandments of the Law that Jesus answered him with.

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Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Also, Matthew 25:40: “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.” These two verses are special admonitions, first from Paul in Galatians, and then from Jesus in Matthew, to be helpful to fellow believers. Jesus even says, that what we have done to ‘these His brethren’ we have done it unto Him. Certainly ample reason to be helpful to other believers. Even when we may be reluctant to help that specific person, we can do it out of our love for the Lord.

Finally in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” So, whether strangers or fellow Christians, we are to show them Christ in us through our own benevolent actions. God will be honored, others will be blessed, and it’s one way we can put our faith into action.

Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Matthew 25:40: “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.”

Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

 

One of the least enjoyable, yet most profound and memorable, experiences in our lives are painful experiences. Yet, they are a part of life. We all go through painful experiences. But while these experiences are painful, we have choices to make during these experiences.

Since painful experiences are a part of life, we can all relate to each other in this area. None of us escape pain, no matter how much we try to avoid it. So, when I say, “Don’t waste your pain”, I’m saying allow yourself to learn from your pain. You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, I know what I learned. I’m never going to do that again.” Well, that’s true. I understand what you’re saying. There are definitely times we get ourselves into trouble through our own bad decisions. And it’s good that we learn from those times. But we often go through painful experiences through no fault of our own. My thinking is that since we can’t avoid these things, it’s best we keep moving forward in these times, learn what we can, and not get stuck there.

It’s kind of like starting a new business. Some of you have been through this. You can probably testify that It’s usually not just an instant success. It can take time, and sometimes several years of struggle, before you reap the rewards of your effort. A friend of mine has told me about some of his struggles in starting a new business. He had experienced a great deal of difficulty in getting started. Getting new clients was a challenge and just learning how to run a business involved a learning curve. For a while he was getting so focused on advertising and how he was going to get new business that he lost sight of the reason for doing what he was doing. He’s learned over time, however, that he needed to just concentrate on helping the patients he has, knowing that if he does that, they will be more likely to tell their friends and family about him. He says now, that he’s glad he went through this painful time because he learned things he otherwise wouldn’t have learned. He learned how to be better at what he does, better at dealing with clients, and better at running a business.

So, while we enjoy the good times in our lives, we often learn more in the painful, dark times of our lives. That just seems to be the way it is. Sometimes we feel like we’re being sanded with 80 grit sandpaper. That’s just to take off the rough edges, though. We need to learn to handle the pain before we get to the success. I like to say, “You’ve got to sift through a lot of gravel before you find any gold.”

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

How does the pain translate in our lives spiritually? Well, we often go through a painful experience. Sometimes these are just painful, and sometimes God may be trying to teach us and show us some important things in these times. This is where we need to go through it with him. Not stay there, but go through it. So, we can’t be like the Israelites in the wilderness going around the same mountain. We need to be open and obedient to him. This is what I mean by ‘don’t waste your pain’. I’m saying go through that struggle trusting God, knowing that you will come out on the other side stronger and he will get you through it, and also, learning what needs to be learned.

It’s kind of like going through boot camp. Some of you were in the military and know this better than anyone, especially if you were in Special Forces or some other kind of intense training. All of this training isn’t fun. It all has a purpose and an end in mind, though. It’s meant to make you stronger.
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Psalm 119:67 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” Then further down in verse 71 it says, “[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” See, we often only see the benefit of these times in retrospect. This is an honest audit of those experiences. He’s saying, “I now see why it was necessary for me to go through this.”

Do you feel like you’re in the midst of pain and don’t know what to do right now? I can tell you one thing. God will help you through it if you look to him. Be watchful and listen for his voice to lead you through it. Trust that he knows what he’s doing. There’s a verse in Job 23:10: “But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job is an often used example of pain and suffering. In all that Job went through he had questions, but his trust was ultimately in God. I love his confidence in his trial—that he believed God knew what he was doing. There’s so much in this verse. See, God knows how to bring the best out of you.

God doesn’t allow, or use, struggles in our lives because he doesn’t love us, but because he does. He sees the potential you have. Just like gold needs to be refined, so do we. There’s a refining process for gold where the impurities are removed, until all that’s left is the pure gold. Do you feel like this? Are you going through the Refiner’s fire right now? Trust Him in it.

This is one thing I’ve learned in life: Suffering is the great clarifier of things, and the great purifier of man. What that means is that the things that I didn’t understand about life before, I now understand. And the impurities that were in my life before, I now have a proper perspective on those, and it’s helped to purge them from my life.

Psalm 119:67 and 71 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. [It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”

Job 23:10: “But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

 

I know what you’re thinking. Did he mean to write ‘Life Without Limits’? No, actually I meant ‘Life Within Limits’. The reason being, is that our life, if it’s to be any kind of life at all, must be lived within certain parameters. They are a part of life, and a part of a well-lived life.

I often think about our lives and how when we get too extreme in one area that we end up in trouble. I guess that’s why balance is so important. We can’t go too far in one direction or we get into trouble. Of course, if we want proof, all we need to do is look at people who haven’t kept things in balance. I think some addictions are good examples of this. Have you ever seen someone addicted to video games? Now, video games aren’t necessarily bad. But something that’s OK in moderation easily becomes bad in the extreme. Now, I will say there are some things that are just bad whether people become addicted to them or not. However, there are many things that aren’t necessarily negative in themselves, but become negative influences when not taking a balanced approach to them.

Sometimes we can even become unbalanced in our approach to things that people would consider good things. Take exercise, for instance. There was a time in college where I got to the point with exercise that I really wanted, or looked forward, to doing it every day. A friend of mine, and myself, would go and lift weights or run most every day of the week with maybe just a couple days off. It actually got to the point that I looked forward to exercising most of the time. You kind of felt like you were missing something if you didn’t go. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say that I got to the point that I was addicted to exercise. Although, I know that there are people that get addicted to it. There’s an addiction you can develop to those endorphins. Maybe that explains people who do triathlons. I don’t know, just trying to make sense of it. I mean, triathletes and marathon runners are crazy, right? Just kidding. Anyway, while I can’t say my exercise reached the point of being out of balance, I could see how that might happen.

These are just a couple examples of being out of balance. This can happen in any area of our lives, though. We get started into something, and before we know it, we’re so consumed with that one thing that other areas of our lives begin to suffer. So, there is a power in having a well-balanced life. But what about those things that are wrong?

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

Now, there are some things that we can get involved with that are wrong. There are boundaries and guidelines which God has given to us all. These rules aren’t God trying to make sure we have no fun. The reason God has given us guidelines is because He loves us. And these rules are a reflection of God and his nature. He didn’t just pull them out of thin air. There are specific attributes assigned to God. In order for us to be in right relation with Him, we need to be follow his guidelines. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” So, the reason we have to follow these rules is because since he doesn’t change, then neither do his rules.

Proverbs 15:32 says, “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” This reminds me of when we were little kids and our parents corrected us. They did this for our own good, to keep us out of trouble. We knew when we were at home that there were certain rules we had to follow, or there were going to be consequences. It’s the same principle with God.
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In Matthew 7:14 it says, “Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” This shows us plainly that there’s a broad way leading to destruction. That’s someone living a life without rules or refusing instruction. Then there’s a narrow way leading to life, and eternal life. This is the person living life within limits and adhering to instruction. I often like to use the analogy of a road when it comes to following rules. Because if we get too far to the right we end up in the ditch, and if we go too far to the left we end up in oncoming traffic. Neither are good outcomes. So, God has given us these rules so we know where the guidelines are. This is the balance of a straight and narrow life.

God only wants good things for us. It’s important we remember this whenever we are looking into His word and His commandments. James 1:25 says, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” See, this verse calls God laws the ‘perfect law of liberty’. So, we are really only living free, or at liberty, when we are following His word. And His word says that the person that does these things will be blessed. So, it seems that a ‘Life Without Limits’ is really only lived when we are living a ‘Life Within Limits’.

Malachi 3:6 says, “For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Proverbs 15:32 says, “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.”

Matthew 7:14 it says, “Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

James 1:25 says, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

 

Happiness is something we all strive for. The pursuit of happiness is a major priority in our lives. We seek out different things in our careers, and family, and finances to help us achieve happiness.

When we’re kids I think happiness seemed simpler. We were made happy by the simplest of things: that new toy we got for Christmas, a birthday party, or a snow day so we didn’t have to go to school. Yeah, I liked snow days. But while we were made happy through the simplest things, we were also made happy by some pretty superficial things. As we grow up our source of happiness seems to become more complex and we learn that some of those things that made us happy when younger were pretty fleeting. Sometimes, even as we grow older, it’s not always readily apparent what will make us happy. But we pursue things only to find out that we’re not happy once we’ve attained them.

I remember I was always happy on Christmas when I got that one present that I wanted. There was always that anticipation leading up to Christmas, wondering what that present was under the tree. All that time leading up to that day you were excited. Then when you finally got what you wanted you were even more excited. Then you start actually playing with that toy and it just seemed to kind of go downhill from there. For the first few days it was great, but then it eventually got to the point that you weren’t even playing with it anymore. By that time all your family had left and you wish they could just come back for a few more days.

I know that was one thing that always made me happy—when the whole family would get together for Christmas. I may not have even realized it at the time. As we all got older though, that seemed to happen less and less. My siblings grew older and then moved away and got married. It just became more difficult for us to get together. I think when I was younger I just took our family time at Christmas for granted. I probably assumed that it would just always be that way. I came to the realization as I got older that I missed that time together more than any present I could have gotten. I have some pretty good memories of those Christmases of old.
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I think that’s the lesson we all learn. You can’t get back that time with your family. We may even spend our later years in the pursuit of things, only to find out, like that little kid at Christmas, that the happiness isn’t lasting. We attain that thing and then, once we get it, we are turning back around looking for our family. Our realization comes at our greatest moment of disappointment. It’s then that we realize how little the pursuit of things matters.

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

We all act in different ways for different reasons. Sometimes, often times, our reasons for acting can be difficult to detect, even by ourselves. And as much as it’s important what we do, I believe it’s just as important why we do those things. This is why I believe motives matter.

I believe, for the most part, that most of us generally want to do what is right. As for the reasons why we often don’t, well, they can be many and complex. The interesting thing is that we can do something right for the wrong motives. For example, someone could befriend someone else, only not to be friends with them but because they want something from them. We can also do something wrong for the right motives. Say, for instance, a husband and wife are driving in car together and they are speeding. The reason for him speeding, though, is that his wife is pregnant and she is in imminent labor. So, we can see that things aren’t always as they seem from the outside.

Doing things for the wrong motives often ends up bad for both parties concerned. The reason being is that when the reasons behind your actions comes out the other person probably won’t be too happy. And, well, it’s just wrong. Doing something wrong for the right motives can end up bad, as well. However, at least, a person’s heart is right. That’s a good starting point.
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I guess what we should aim for is doing right for the right reasons. That’s probably going to provide the best outcomes. I often find myself examining why I’m doing something. Sometimes I find it’s difficult to get to the real motive behind my actions. If I stay with it, though, I can usually discover why I am acting in a certain way. Sometimes it can be difficult to uncover because it may just be a pattern of behavior for me. Many times I find myself too concerned about what other people think of me, for good or for bad. That can have a negative influence on your actions.

I think we too easily get stuck on the outward appearance in this life. It’s probably best if we don’t assume that we know someone else’s motives. It’s also probably best for us to know our own motives. I’ve found myself pondering my own motives in certain areas of my own life. The surprising part is that my motives weren’t always what I thought they were until I examined them. Even though I might not have liked finding out my motives, I was glad that I did because I was able to change them. Figuring out your own motives is actually valuable information.

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

Leadership is an interesting thing. Not only how does a person become leader, but how does a leader get chosen? Some people seem to be born with leadership skills, others tend to learn them as they go. But leadership skills can be learned.

There’s an interesting thing I’ve noticed about leaders. It seems to me that the ones you generally wouldn’t want to be a leader are the ones that want to be in a leadership position. On the flip side, the ones you generally would want to be leaders wouldn’t want the job. Interesting dilemma, isn’t it? I’ve noticed this in all levels of life. When you look at a lot of corporations, you can see that some of the managers, or executives that are in that role, want the job so they can feel in charge and they can tell others what to do. They can also advance their own agenda. I can also see that there are a number of potential good leaders in the company who are working low-level jobs. These people, however, are generally the ones who wouldn’t want the job. If they did end up in the leadership role, though, you get the feeling that they would make decisions that would be the best for the organization and not just for themselves.

I’ve noticed about presidential candidates that this seems to apply to them as well. I feel like every one of the usual candidates are generally ones with gigantic egos. I think they feel they need this job to feed their egos. They may be good at it in some ways but they may not always act with the most altruistic of motives. I wonder, though, what just an average person could do if they won the presidency. There are few presidents I can think of that have really sought the presidency for the right reasons. There are some, though, throughout our history, that I believe sought the job for the right reasons. Some of the Presidents I’ve read about, it seems like they sought the presidency with reluctance. I think they really sought the presidency because they felt they were the best man for the job and felt compelled to do the job. I also think they were some of the best Presidents. I think that’s an important attribute in a presidential candidate—someone who just really feels they are called to the job. If I could ask them one question that would probably be it. Of course, good luck getting an honest answer out of some of them.

These are interesting questions to ponder. I wonder how many of our leaders, from those in our local school board to those in the federal government, are really there for the right reasons. Of course, we will never know on this Earth. I think the only thing we can control are our own leadership skills and make sure our motives in leadership are right.

 

…Let’s go deeper

The interesting thing about leadership are the examples in the Bible. Many times the people God chose as leaders are the ones people would be the least likely to choose. You can see examples of this in the choosing between Saul and David as Kings over Israel. Saul was the one that the people chose but he was disobedient to God and turned out to be a failure as King. David was the one that God chose. He made some mistakes, but he was a man after God’s own heart and he was a good leader for Israel and he feared God. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:1: “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.”

Moses was another good example. You could say he was a reluctant leader. This was Moses’ answer when God told him to go speak to the elders of Israel. It says in Exodus 4:10: “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I [am] not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I [am] slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” See, you could say Moses didn’t really believe in himself either. You could say God believed in Moses before he did. God often chooses those you would least expect.
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Jesus showed us best when he was on the Earth how to best be a leader. In Matthew 25-28 it says, “But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” One of the truths clearly stated here is that in order to be a good leader you must be a good servant. This verse says that Jesus himself came to serve others and not to serve himself. He was showing us here how to properly lead. He was not only leading by example but he was being humble.

It seems one of God’s most important characteristics in a leader is humility. This is a principle taught throughout the Bible. In Proverbs 15:33 it says, “The fear of the LORD [is] the instruction of wisdom; and before honour [is] humility.” So, if we are to be good leaders, we should fear God, meaning we listen to Him and are led by Him, and we should be humble.

1 Samuel 16:1: “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.”

Exodus 4:10: “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I [am] not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I [am] slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

Matthew 25-28 it says, “But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Proverbs 15:33 it says, “The fear of the LORD [is] the instruction of wisdom; and before honour [is] humility.”

 

There are a lot of opportunities to win or lose in life. We have those opportunities every day. Probably the best metaphor we have for winning and losing in life everyday are sports. Sports are good, especially when we’re kids, because they give us the opportunity to experience winning and losing. They also teach us life skills for how to persevere. We learn how to strategize and train and get ourselves in the best position possible to win. Because winning does matter, it’s just a matter of what you’re talking about winning.

I was watching the Nebraska/Michigan St. football game this past weekend. I was thinking about this topic in regards to this game. I noticed at the beginning that Nebraska was getting rolled by Michigan St. They were down by several touchdowns at the end of the first half. They weren’t able to get their running game going because Michigan St. had pretty much shut down that option. They happened to get three touchdowns, two of which were passing plays. At the end Nebraska was able to get within 5 points but still came up short. It seemed Nebraska failed to adapt to the conditions, or at least in time, and come away with the win. Maybe if they had changed strategies earlier they wouldn’t have had the huge deficit to overcome and could have ended up winning.

Well, why didn’t they do this? They were probably holding onto what they knew. A tried and true running game that had worked for them so far. There was probably also fear involved. They probably thought, “What if we try something else and that doesn’t work? So, let’s keep going with this strategy.” This is the kind of thinking we can end up in if we are playing not to lose instead of playing to win. See, when you’re playing not to lose, you are playing out of fear and just trying hold on to what you have. When you’re playing to win, you’re playing aggressively and taking a chance. You’re looking forward with courage and not afraid of losing. That’s what ‘playing to win’ means. It means you go out there every time and lay it all on the line. This strategy isn’t always implemented, however. As much as coaches like to talk about it, fear can get the better of them. They have a lot of pressure on them from the outside.

Fear can get the better of us as well. It’s always good to realize when we are acting out of fear in any situation. Sometimes fear will keep us from going down the wrong track. But you can usually tell when there’s a path you should take, and fear is the only thing that’s holding you back. This is when we need to just move forward regardless of the fear.

 

…Let’s go deeper

We have an even greater reason to fight as Christians. The reason is we can know that God is with us in the battles he has given us the authority to fight. There’s a story in the Bible in Joshua 10:8 “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.” Here God was talking to Joshua about the Amorites. The Lord promised him victory. He proved himself strong on their behalf. Joshua and the Israelites had to fight, but God did a number of things to help them in their victory. The Bible says that God discomfited (or confused) the enemy. He sent hailstones which killed them. It says there were more that died with hailstones than by the Israelites’ sword. Joshua even asked God to give them more daylight to fight and God did it. The sun was kept from going down for about an entire day.
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The thing that stands out to me in this is God’s willingness to help us in a battle that he has commanded us and given us authority in. This was really just one of a series of battles in which God had helped the Israelites to fight their enemies. They were going forth and fighting knowing that God would give them the victory.

Even as believers, though, we are meant to take risks. There are risks that need to be taken in life. Just like a farmer who plants a crop every year, which is what this verse describes. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.” You may be wondering what this means. Well, it just means that if we are always looking at the circumstances, we can always find reasons not to do something. So, just like a farmer who doesn’t sow because it’s too windy or doesn’t reap because it’s raining, we can’t just sit inside the house because we’re afraid. Eventually we’ll have to get out there and plant a crop, so that we can then reap a harvest.

This is ‘playing to win’. You move forward with faith and courage to do what God has told you to do, not regarding the circumstances, knowing that he has given you what you need in order to win.

Joshua 10:8 “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.”

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.”

    

We all have opinions and express them to varying degrees. However, on some things we aren’t as opinionated. We have some things, though, that really fire us up. Those are the things we become really animated about. These are areas where we usually are the most likely to take action. However, if we are indifferent, we aren’t likely to take much action at all. This is when indifference can be a bad thing.

We don’t generally take action in areas where we don’t have strong opinions. Usually, for most people these areas are things that hit close to home. People join a neighborhood watch to keep an eye out for burglars in their own neighborhood. Or, they join the PTA because they care about their kids’ education. There are some civic minded individuals, however, who feel strongly about social issues. For this reason, they may join the Peace Corp, or be a doctor working for a charity overseas.

Also, on the flip side of that, there are people who are just as opinionated, but these opinions cause them to act in unhealthy, or ugly ways. People can, for instance, begin to embezzle money from their company because they are mad at their employer. They feel like they’ve been wronged, so they feel the need to get them back. People who carry out nefarious schemes often find ways to justify their actions. There are also people who just go ‘Postal’. Like…..well, Postal workers, I guess. Funny, you never hear of someone going ‘UPS’ or ‘FEDEX’ on someone. Is this because these organizations aren’t run by our federal government? Something to think about. Just kidding.

But really, people always have reasons for the decisive actions they take, for good or bad. It’s that space in the middle that doesn’t seem to get much attention—the indifferent people, or indifferent attitude. It’s easy to think, “Well, what’s the harm in not having an opinion?” Well, there’s that saying: ‘When you stand in the middle of the road, you get hit on both sides’. There’s a fair amount of truth to this. I understand there are some things that aren’t worth making into an issue. Probably not worth fighting with your wife on what color to paint the house. Here’s a hint: the right color is whatever color she wants. Anyway, some things, important things, however, really are worth it and may even demand us to take a stand for them. Sometimes we need to take a stand in our communities for the innocent and defenseless. There’s this quote by Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” It’s a good one to remember. Sometimes it just takes a little courage. But we can make a difference when we make a stand.

 

…Let’s go deeper

What does the Bible say about indifference? Quit a lot, actually. Revelation 3:15-16 says, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Now, this statement will wake you out of your slumber. These are pretty strong words. God, though, wants us to stand for him, and to stand strong. We have so much to be thankful for and part of our expression of gratitude is in standing for him and standing for his truth.

The blood fails to get delivered to their doorstep in no time, keeping in mind their sildenafil tablets 100mg commitment to follow suit. Moreover, this can also aids the correction of your posture, biochemical structure and to correctly align your spinal buy cialis line column. The recommended dosage of such drug products is 20mg which must be provided as per the prescriptions of the health experts of Food & Drug Association (FDA) & thus, such guarantee provides a helping hand cheap viagra regarding the secured features of such medicinal drugs towards the utilization of such medicinal treatments. At the point when a man is sexually excited.DOSE :the most recommend dose of Kamagra 100mg and gain the pleasant period of hard erection at the time of love making order viagra buying that with your partner then you don t have to worry. Matthew 5:13 says,”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.” Sometimes we can lose our saltiness. We start to think, and even, act in worldly ways. We don’t do the things we should do, and we do the things we shouldn’t do. Many times we are not ready for God to move in our lives. But he is always ready for us to move. We just need to move. Then we trust Him to make it work. That’s one way we can remain salty, by stepping out in faith. Trust God to do the rest.

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” This goes along with Matthew 5:13, but takes it even further. It tells us not to be conformed to this world. So, it tells us to be salt. But then it tells us how to be salt. It says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How do we do this? Well, the way we do this is by renewing our minds with the Word of God. We think and meditate on his word to the point that it transforms our thinking. When we transform our thinking, it will transform our actions to the point that we are ‘proving what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ It’s good to be salty.

Revelation 3:15-16 says, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

Matthew 5:13 says,”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.”

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

 

Trust is a big thing in life. It’s interesting how we seem to start out with so much of it at the beginning of life and then, from there on, it just seems to wane. When we’re young we just seem to be so trusting. As we get older, though, that trust isn’t as easily given out to others as it once was. We learn through experience that we can’t just trust everybody we meet. We could easily end up getting ourselves in trouble that way.

One danger, though, as we get older is not learning to trust anyone. We sometimes just get burned too many times and the temptation is to just not trust anybody. Depending on the person’s experience and their personality type, this can easily happen. This is the danger—of becoming cynical as we grow older, that we don’t want to trust, or just don’t know who to trust.

I think we learn, though, that we have to trust somebody at some point. We just have to make choices about who we trust. I think, as far as myself goes, I was probably a little too trusting. I would be the type to walk onto a car lot and think, “Why would a used car salesman want to lie to me?” I now know that kind of thinking may not be the best approach in these areas. We learn as adults that people don’t always have the purest of motives. Sometimes we learn that the hard way. We find out later when we get raked over the coals. These are important lessons. It can be easy to become bitter, but this is never helpful. We need to always have that inner circle of people we can trust. People who have our best interests in mind. That usually starts with family. Then we usually have one or two friends we can confide in. I know, at least, that’s the case for me.

I guess in some ways I’m too trusting. In other ways not trusting enough. I am not really so cynical that I expect everyone is going to take me to the cleaners. I generally like to think the best of people. I think my main area of lacking trust is just in the area of being understood by others. I can get frustrated or disappointed when I feel others aren’t getting what I’m trying to communicate to them. I think I need to understand that people aren’t lacking in their wanting to understand me, I just might need to do a better job of communicating. Something I need to work on, I guess.

Regardless, trust usually has to be earned by us. That’s not a bad thing. We need to be discerning in this area. Unfortunately, though, even the most trustworthy people in our lives, can end up betraying our trust. Sometimes we find even ourselves difficult to trust. But that doesn’t mean we don’t extend trust to others, or even ourselves.

 

…Let’s go deeper

 

 

 

There’s one person, though, that we can trust all the time. There’s a verse in Numbers. It’s Numbers 23:19: ‘God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” This one is a good reminder for us. We often have so much experience with people disappointing us that it’s difficult for us to think that God isn’t the same way. But he isn’t. God will never lie to us. We can stand on his word. Jeremiah 1:12 says, “Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” Both of these verses emphasize that God will make sure to perform what he has spoken.

So for this one has to opt for some medication but due to less viagra mastercard india information about the disease as well as vanishes all alone. Impotence occurs when the movement of blood in the penis is the a single that degrades the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMA)!!! The inhibitory action is vital simply because an accelerated level of cGMP is essential to get anti-impotent drugs after providing a valid in store viagra medical prescription. The most beneficial technique is ankle arthrodiastasis which is being marketed as generic for levitra a sexual enhancer. The erection cialis online http://appalachianmagazine.com/2016/01/09/german-soldier-writes-mother-of-w-va-soldier-he-killed-during-wwi-a-letter-2/ is not reversed until the organ contracts to stop the inflow of blood and opens the veins so that the veins could collect more blood. I guess the question lies with us then. Can you trust him that he is enough? Can you trust God that He is bigger than that temptation that you’re facing? Moment by moment. Can you trust God to get you through that trial you’re going through? Can you trust God to get you through today? 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul had to rely on God’s grace. God told him that his grace is sufficient for him and it was. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. So, God gives us more grace when we need it, when we humble ourselves before him.

But what about the trust part? Well, Psalms 31:14-15 says, “But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my God. My times [are] in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” David was asking here for help in escaping his enemies. In the verses leading up to these two in this chapter, David was explaining his troubles and beginning here David was expressing his trust and faith in God.

Finally, Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.” It’s clear here that our trust in him is how we stay in peace. When we trust him so fully, that we keep our mind on him, and, as a result, our level of trust is such that we know he will get us through. So, he keeps us in perfect peace when our mind is fixed on him. Why? Because we trust in him.

Numbers 23:19: “God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Jeremiah 1:12 says, “Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Psalms 31:14-15 says, “But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my God. My times [are] in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.”

Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.”