Well, we made it to #8! Thanks for reading, especially the longer principles.
Principle #8 is:
Embrace the Twin Pillars of Joy - Gratitude and Contentment
On January 5, 2010, the New York Daily News ran the following story:
HATE YOUR JOB? Join the club.
A new study shows only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work - even in an economy where some feel lucky just to be employed. Job satisfaction in 2009 hit the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in the 22 years they have been studying U.S. workers.
"Being stuck in a cubicle all day isn't fun," said Rosa, who lives in Astoria. I have to say that 90% of us are doing something that wasn't their first choice. Hopefully I'll find something else someday."
Contrast Rosa's comments with those of Yady Hannah, 50, who works for the Department of Education. She said she's just just glad to be working. "It pays the bills," she said. "Thank God I have one (job). In today's economy, we've got to be thankful for everything we have."
Whose attitude shouts contentment, Rosa's or Yady's?
How we view our circumstances determines how content we will be. Do we have a grateful attitude no matter what's going on in our lives, or do we have a "woe is me" attitude when the bottom falls out?
Matt Chandler, a 35 year old pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in north Texas, experienced a seizure on Thanksgiving Day. Eventually diagnosed with a brain tumor, Chandler had surgery to remove it. The malignant tumor had spread.
MSNBC.com featured Chandler in a story on January 31 titled "Brain Cancer Tests a Young Pastor's Faith." Listen to his attitude about the cancer.
Chandler is trying to suffer well. He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.
Chandler prays that God will heal him. He said he wants to grow old and walk his two daughters down the aisle. He wants to see his son play sports better than he ever did.
The story continues, Whatever happens, he says, is God's will, and God has his reasons. For Chandler, that does not mean waiting for his fate. It means fighting for his life.
So what does Chandler do when he's on a table at the hospital receiving his daily dose of chemo? The first day of treatment he "reflected on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of His cross."
Chandler's intimate relationship with Christ provides him with a grateful attitude at a time when many people would crater. Matt Chandler lives out 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says, Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul also modeled gratefulness and contentment in the midst of trials. In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were severely flogged and thrown into prison. What did they do? They prayed and sang hymns to God! (v. 23) After God miraculously set them free from prison, they went to Lydia's house and met with the brothers. They must have in great pain from the severe flogging, but rather than focusing on themselves, they "encouraged the brothers."
Paul gives us the secret to adapting to any circumstance in our lives. Listen to Philippians 4:11b-13.
For I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Paul learned to be content, which means it didn't come to him naturally. Do you think that being shipwrecked, stoned, put in prison, persecuted, and slandered had anything to do with him learning contentment and gratefulness? I believe this is how Paul developed his confidence in Christ. As God took him through different trials, Paul's faith deepened until he embodied Philippians 4:13.
I love the synonyms for "content": satisfied, gratified, pleased, glad, sunny, cheerful. To be discontented means to be petulant, cranky, annoyed, vexed, exasperated, angry, dissatisfied. Yuck! Reading the definition of discontented pulls me out of an ungrateful attitude.
Listening to my pre-school grandson pray must make God smile. He thanks God not only for the food, but also for his mommy and daddy, Grammy and PawPaw, his brother and sister, his pillow and bed, the dishes, the grass, and anything else that comes to mind. How God must love it when we tell Him how grateful we are not just for His physical provisions, but most of all for our salvation. The joy of my salvation cancels out the constant physical pain and fatigue I live with. God chose me to be His child! My heart sings with joy at the thought of someday living in heaven with Him and experiencing His perfect love face-to-face.
Rick Warren compared life to train tracks. Rather than experiencing hills and valleys, we will always have things to be joyful about alongside the tough times. Things are never all bad or all good. During difficult times, it is good to thank God for even the grass, our bed, the dishes, and the relationships God has blessed us with.
Henri Nouwen, a highly educated Catholic priest who laid aside his prestigious career to work with physically and developmentally delayed adults, said this about gratefulness:
To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives—the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections—that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say "thank you" to all that has brought us to the present moment. . . Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God.Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey (HarperOne, 1996), p. 12
I pray that we will examine our hearts and honestly evaluate our attitudes for signs of ungratefulness and discontent. Let's count the multitue of blessings from our Father and rejoice over His goodness to us. As Zig Ziglar says, "We need to live with an attitude of gratitude!"
Showing posts with label trials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trials. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
8 Principles for a Joyful Life - #7
Principle #7 - Change Your Perspective on Going Through Difficult Times (aka Trials)
I'm grateful for trials! That sounds like an oxymoron in a country where people escape from pain, whether physical or emotional, any way they can.
As I mentioned before, I trusted Christ as my Savior at age 32. Words to describe me then: selfish, immature, emotional mess. Just as a parent disciplines a child, so God began to discipline me. Like most good Americans, I sought relief when difficulties rained upon me. It took years for me to understand that trials are God's tool for getting rid of the junk in me.
When I read Hebrews 12:10b-11 I started to understand why so many trials bubbled up like a broken water main in my life. These verses say,
God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
God allowed temporary pain in order to bring long-lasting peace and joy. He used trials to eventually produce fruit in my life. I think of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He later recognized that what his brothers meant for harm, God meant for good in order to save many from famine. While he lay forgotten in an Egyptian prison, he probably didn't have a clue that God would elevate him to second in command in Egypt.
We don't know how God wants to use trials in our lives. Only God sees the big picture. However, through the Scriptures, we can glean several reasons for trials. Let's look at a few.
1. To prove that our faith is real. Listen to 1 Peter 1:6b-7.
Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
The apostles said to Jesus in Luke 17:5, "Increase our faith!" Do you ever pray that prayer? I do. How do we increase our faith? Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
We build up our faith by consistently reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. When we go through trials, we get a picture of how strong our faith is. Do we run to Jesus when difficulties come, or do we look for other sources of comfort?
We have heard that faith is like a muscle; the more we use it the stronger it becomes. True! I trained as a clown when I was a new Christian. I started a clown ministry at our church, and we had 13 clowns who served in the children's ministry every month. I trusted God to put the clown ministry together and to keep it going. My new faith got stronger as I watched God work through the clown ministry. Years later, when God opened the door for me to do a TV show, I remembered His provision when I did the clown ministry. God strengthened my faith enough so that I could obey His call to start a TV show.
2. Another way God uses trials is to make us more like Christ.
In Romans 8:29 we see that God predetermined that we would be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we have an affirmation that God is doing that.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
To think that God could take selfish, messed-up me and transform me into the likeness of Christ blows my mind! When Steve and I first got married, I criticized how he took care of the yard, how he dressed, and other petty things. That is opposite of the gentle, kind, patient spirit of Christ. Eventually God convicted me of that sin, and I started working on getting rid of the critical spirit. Thirty years later it is gone. When I'm tempted to tell God to stop the trials (not that He would), I think about how He worked through tough times to rid me of a critical spirit.
3. God uses trials to develop our character.
Romans 5:3 says,
We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope.
I needed a big dose of training in perseverance. My parents taught me honesty, truthfulness, and respect for authority, but not perseverance. I started Junior Achievement in middle school, but when I couldn't sell our product, my dad told me to quit. In high school, I starting training to babysit special needs kids, but my dad told me to quit because he was afraid I couldn't handle a child with special needs. I was schooled in quitting rather than perseverance. I wonder if that's why I kept trying to take my life before I knew Christ. I saw no other way out, so I wanted to give up on life. I marvel that God could take a quitter like me and turn me into a disciplined, hang-in-there person who carries out responsibilities and completes projects.
Character also means courage, honor, strength, and integrity. God wants to work all of those things into us. He wants us to "become blameless and pure. . .in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15) People of character shine and draw others to Christ. . .a great reason to endure trials with grace!
4. Trials make us ready to help other people. Listen to this.
Praise be to . . .the Father of compassion and the God all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
Max Lucado wrote a great book called, It's Not About Me. The sub-title is Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make us Happy. Media outlets fling America's slogan at us: "It's All About Me." It seems logical that the more money, time, and pleasure we lavish on ourselves, the happier we should be. However, the opposite is true. The more we focus on ourselves, the more we'll experience misery and discontent. Focusing on God and helping people leads to a joy-filled life.The more we deny ourselves, as Jesus said, the deeper our joy.
I recently met a young man named Chris. He abused drugs and alcohol in college. One night he made the choice to ride with a drunken friend who crashed his car. Chris ended up a paraplegic. Instead of becoming bitter, Chris relied on God to help him rebuild his life. He wrote a book about his experience and also speaks to groups across the country, using himself as an example of the consequences of drugs and alcohol. Chris could have turned inward and made his life all about him. Who would have blamed him? Because he focused on God instead, Chris lives a joyful life. God gave him a beautiful wife who's a physical therapist, and they have a young son. God also made it possible for Chris to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, where he's currently training for ministry.
5. God teaches us to depend on Him through trials.
We know the verse, "Apart from Me (Christ) you can do nothing." (John 15:5) ) Our culture again invades our thinking and teaches us to be independent, strong, and self-reliant. We often rely on our natural abilities and talents to make it through life. Until, that is, something comes along that lays us low. For me, that something was my health. Living with fibromyalgia for over 25 years caused me to become dependent on Christ.
In my pain, fatigue, and weakness, I constantly cry out to God for strength. My "making it through verse" is "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). I picture Jesus holding me by the hand, and I keep going when I would rather languish in bed. I spoke for Christian Women's Club for over three years. As I was being introduced, I prayed for strength and quoted Philippians 4:13 to myself. Then, when it was time for me to speak, I got up and energy flowed through me. I spoke with enthusiasm for 30 minutes as many as three or four times a week. God did that!
As we go through trials in this life, let's remember that God is working in ways we cannot imagine. Someday the trials will end. From a heavenly vantage point, we will see that what we gained from going through trials was worth the pain! So, let's do what it says in James 1:2 and "consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds."
I'm grateful for trials! That sounds like an oxymoron in a country where people escape from pain, whether physical or emotional, any way they can.
As I mentioned before, I trusted Christ as my Savior at age 32. Words to describe me then: selfish, immature, emotional mess. Just as a parent disciplines a child, so God began to discipline me. Like most good Americans, I sought relief when difficulties rained upon me. It took years for me to understand that trials are God's tool for getting rid of the junk in me.
When I read Hebrews 12:10b-11 I started to understand why so many trials bubbled up like a broken water main in my life. These verses say,
God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
God allowed temporary pain in order to bring long-lasting peace and joy. He used trials to eventually produce fruit in my life. I think of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He later recognized that what his brothers meant for harm, God meant for good in order to save many from famine. While he lay forgotten in an Egyptian prison, he probably didn't have a clue that God would elevate him to second in command in Egypt.
We don't know how God wants to use trials in our lives. Only God sees the big picture. However, through the Scriptures, we can glean several reasons for trials. Let's look at a few.
1. To prove that our faith is real. Listen to 1 Peter 1:6b-7.
Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
The apostles said to Jesus in Luke 17:5, "Increase our faith!" Do you ever pray that prayer? I do. How do we increase our faith? Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
We build up our faith by consistently reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. When we go through trials, we get a picture of how strong our faith is. Do we run to Jesus when difficulties come, or do we look for other sources of comfort?
We have heard that faith is like a muscle; the more we use it the stronger it becomes. True! I trained as a clown when I was a new Christian. I started a clown ministry at our church, and we had 13 clowns who served in the children's ministry every month. I trusted God to put the clown ministry together and to keep it going. My new faith got stronger as I watched God work through the clown ministry. Years later, when God opened the door for me to do a TV show, I remembered His provision when I did the clown ministry. God strengthened my faith enough so that I could obey His call to start a TV show.
2. Another way God uses trials is to make us more like Christ.
In Romans 8:29 we see that God predetermined that we would be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we have an affirmation that God is doing that.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
To think that God could take selfish, messed-up me and transform me into the likeness of Christ blows my mind! When Steve and I first got married, I criticized how he took care of the yard, how he dressed, and other petty things. That is opposite of the gentle, kind, patient spirit of Christ. Eventually God convicted me of that sin, and I started working on getting rid of the critical spirit. Thirty years later it is gone. When I'm tempted to tell God to stop the trials (not that He would), I think about how He worked through tough times to rid me of a critical spirit.
3. God uses trials to develop our character.
Romans 5:3 says,
We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope.
I needed a big dose of training in perseverance. My parents taught me honesty, truthfulness, and respect for authority, but not perseverance. I started Junior Achievement in middle school, but when I couldn't sell our product, my dad told me to quit. In high school, I starting training to babysit special needs kids, but my dad told me to quit because he was afraid I couldn't handle a child with special needs. I was schooled in quitting rather than perseverance. I wonder if that's why I kept trying to take my life before I knew Christ. I saw no other way out, so I wanted to give up on life. I marvel that God could take a quitter like me and turn me into a disciplined, hang-in-there person who carries out responsibilities and completes projects.
Character also means courage, honor, strength, and integrity. God wants to work all of those things into us. He wants us to "become blameless and pure. . .in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15) People of character shine and draw others to Christ. . .a great reason to endure trials with grace!
4. Trials make us ready to help other people. Listen to this.
Praise be to . . .the Father of compassion and the God all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
Max Lucado wrote a great book called, It's Not About Me. The sub-title is Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make us Happy. Media outlets fling America's slogan at us: "It's All About Me." It seems logical that the more money, time, and pleasure we lavish on ourselves, the happier we should be. However, the opposite is true. The more we focus on ourselves, the more we'll experience misery and discontent. Focusing on God and helping people leads to a joy-filled life.The more we deny ourselves, as Jesus said, the deeper our joy.
I recently met a young man named Chris. He abused drugs and alcohol in college. One night he made the choice to ride with a drunken friend who crashed his car. Chris ended up a paraplegic. Instead of becoming bitter, Chris relied on God to help him rebuild his life. He wrote a book about his experience and also speaks to groups across the country, using himself as an example of the consequences of drugs and alcohol. Chris could have turned inward and made his life all about him. Who would have blamed him? Because he focused on God instead, Chris lives a joyful life. God gave him a beautiful wife who's a physical therapist, and they have a young son. God also made it possible for Chris to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, where he's currently training for ministry.
5. God teaches us to depend on Him through trials.
We know the verse, "Apart from Me (Christ) you can do nothing." (John 15:5) ) Our culture again invades our thinking and teaches us to be independent, strong, and self-reliant. We often rely on our natural abilities and talents to make it through life. Until, that is, something comes along that lays us low. For me, that something was my health. Living with fibromyalgia for over 25 years caused me to become dependent on Christ.
In my pain, fatigue, and weakness, I constantly cry out to God for strength. My "making it through verse" is "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). I picture Jesus holding me by the hand, and I keep going when I would rather languish in bed. I spoke for Christian Women's Club for over three years. As I was being introduced, I prayed for strength and quoted Philippians 4:13 to myself. Then, when it was time for me to speak, I got up and energy flowed through me. I spoke with enthusiasm for 30 minutes as many as three or four times a week. God did that!
As we go through trials in this life, let's remember that God is working in ways we cannot imagine. Someday the trials will end. From a heavenly vantage point, we will see that what we gained from going through trials was worth the pain! So, let's do what it says in James 1:2 and "consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds."
Sunday, February 7, 2010
8 Principles for a Joyful Life - #5
Principle # 5 - Remember that God has a purpose and a plan for your life.
Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life hit a nerve when it was published in 2002. It catapulted onto the New York Times bestseller’s list and stayed there for 174 weeks. It currently reigns as number 11 on the list.
Our fifth principle speaks to the deep hunger all of us have to live out our purpose. Have you ever felt that you had no purpose, that you were just taking up space? As Christians, we sometimes find it hard to believe that the God of the universe wants to use us to do His work on earth. Yet one of the greatest joys in life is fulfilling God’s purpose for us. As we step out in faith and obedience, the Lord will begin to reveal His purpose for our lives.
I yearned to be in full-time ministry ever since I was saved in 1979. However, for years I doubted that God could use a flawed, messed-up person like me. When we lived in California, I served on the church growth committee. One day I saw an article in the paper about community access TV shows. This was during the time when televangelists were giving Christianity a bad name. Immediately I longed for a show on the air that highlighted Christian values through interviews with Christians making a difference.
I presented the concept to the church growth committee, and they applauded the idea. I expected someone else to step up and put the show together. Instead, the pastor on the committee said, “You do it.” Me, I thought? You’ve got to be kidding! However, I began working on it, and God brought together a crew of 20 people who went through the training. He provided a talented director, and I became the producer and co-host of California Family Focus, a 30 minute magazine show which aired in four cities in northern California. I did the show for three and a half years until I turned it over to someone else when my husband was transferred back to Texas.
I now believe doing that TV show was part of God’s ultimate purpose for my life. The show helped prepare me for the ministry that I’m currently doing. It developed character traits such as perseverance, patience, and a strong dependence on the Lord that God knew I would need. I also rejoiced when I saw many former pew-sitters join the crew. Through that show, I recognized that I have a strong desire for everyone to use their gifts and talents for God’s glory. That desire permeates the Comfort and Compassion Ministry that my writer and speaking partner, Carrie, and I have started. God has equipped me with the ability to mobilize people for His purposes.
I have this verse hanging in my office so I can see it every day: The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever─do not abandon the works of Your hands.(Psalm 138:8)
Whenever doubts try to creep in about my ability to do Comfort & Compassion Ministry, I stop and thank God that He will fulfill His purpose for me. Then I do the next thing that needs to be done.
In church this morning we sang Step by Step which goes:
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
I love that song! God leads us one step at a time in preparing us for our purpose in life. I produced and co-hosted California Family Focus from 1990 to 1994. If I had known then what His purpose was for me today, I would have been petrified!
Living out God's purpose for us brings adventure, excitement, and never-ending surprises. Yes, we'll still go through heartache, difficulties, and trials; that's a given. But a sense of purpose allows us to live above our circumstances and come out on the other side when tough times hit.
I pray we would believe that the Creator of the universe really does want to use us to do His work on earth. . .and then go do something about it!
Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life hit a nerve when it was published in 2002. It catapulted onto the New York Times bestseller’s list and stayed there for 174 weeks. It currently reigns as number 11 on the list.
Our fifth principle speaks to the deep hunger all of us have to live out our purpose. Have you ever felt that you had no purpose, that you were just taking up space? As Christians, we sometimes find it hard to believe that the God of the universe wants to use us to do His work on earth. Yet one of the greatest joys in life is fulfilling God’s purpose for us. As we step out in faith and obedience, the Lord will begin to reveal His purpose for our lives.
I yearned to be in full-time ministry ever since I was saved in 1979. However, for years I doubted that God could use a flawed, messed-up person like me. When we lived in California, I served on the church growth committee. One day I saw an article in the paper about community access TV shows. This was during the time when televangelists were giving Christianity a bad name. Immediately I longed for a show on the air that highlighted Christian values through interviews with Christians making a difference.
I presented the concept to the church growth committee, and they applauded the idea. I expected someone else to step up and put the show together. Instead, the pastor on the committee said, “You do it.” Me, I thought? You’ve got to be kidding! However, I began working on it, and God brought together a crew of 20 people who went through the training. He provided a talented director, and I became the producer and co-host of California Family Focus, a 30 minute magazine show which aired in four cities in northern California. I did the show for three and a half years until I turned it over to someone else when my husband was transferred back to Texas.
I now believe doing that TV show was part of God’s ultimate purpose for my life. The show helped prepare me for the ministry that I’m currently doing. It developed character traits such as perseverance, patience, and a strong dependence on the Lord that God knew I would need. I also rejoiced when I saw many former pew-sitters join the crew. Through that show, I recognized that I have a strong desire for everyone to use their gifts and talents for God’s glory. That desire permeates the Comfort and Compassion Ministry that my writer and speaking partner, Carrie, and I have started. God has equipped me with the ability to mobilize people for His purposes.
I have this verse hanging in my office so I can see it every day: The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever─do not abandon the works of Your hands.(Psalm 138:8)
Whenever doubts try to creep in about my ability to do Comfort & Compassion Ministry, I stop and thank God that He will fulfill His purpose for me. Then I do the next thing that needs to be done.
In church this morning we sang Step by Step which goes:
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
I love that song! God leads us one step at a time in preparing us for our purpose in life. I produced and co-hosted California Family Focus from 1990 to 1994. If I had known then what His purpose was for me today, I would have been petrified!
Living out God's purpose for us brings adventure, excitement, and never-ending surprises. Yes, we'll still go through heartache, difficulties, and trials; that's a given. But a sense of purpose allows us to live above our circumstances and come out on the other side when tough times hit.
I pray we would believe that the Creator of the universe really does want to use us to do His work on earth. . .and then go do something about it!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Eight Principles
As I read my Bible, I'm often amazed at how often people through the ages just didn't get it. I shouldn't be surprised,though, because repeatedly in my Christian life I didn't get what God was trying to teach me. Thankfully he doesn't give up on us!
This morning I read Acts 1:6 which says, So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
This is right after Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift (the Holy Spirit) the Father had promised. Rather than being excited about the Holy Spirit, the disciples focused on the kingdom being restored to Israel.
Jesus had just spent three years teaching them about the kingdom of God which included suffering, spreading the gospel, and his second coming. In addition, after his resurrection, Jesus told Peter what kind of death he would experience in order to glorify God. The disciples seemed to forget all they had been taught.
In my next post I'm starting a series called Eight Principles for a Joyful Life. These are things God has taught me during the 31 years I've been his child. This is for my benefit as much as everyone else's. Like the disciples, I find myself sometimes focusing on earthly things rather than "going about my Father's business." Most likely the Lord has taught you these things too. But it's always good to remind ourselves of truth!
So join me next time when we'll get started on Eight Principles for a Joyful Life!
This morning I read Acts 1:6 which says, So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
This is right after Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift (the Holy Spirit) the Father had promised. Rather than being excited about the Holy Spirit, the disciples focused on the kingdom being restored to Israel.
Jesus had just spent three years teaching them about the kingdom of God which included suffering, spreading the gospel, and his second coming. In addition, after his resurrection, Jesus told Peter what kind of death he would experience in order to glorify God. The disciples seemed to forget all they had been taught.
In my next post I'm starting a series called Eight Principles for a Joyful Life. These are things God has taught me during the 31 years I've been his child. This is for my benefit as much as everyone else's. Like the disciples, I find myself sometimes focusing on earthly things rather than "going about my Father's business." Most likely the Lord has taught you these things too. But it's always good to remind ourselves of truth!
So join me next time when we'll get started on Eight Principles for a Joyful Life!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Count it All Joy?
Carrie Cooper, my speaking and writing partner, wrote an insightful post on her blog on October 26. I encourage you to read the entire post at comfortedbygod.blogspot.com. The following is an excerpt from her post titled, "A Benefit of Troubles."
"One of the great blessings of trials is that it reveals our desperate state before a soveriegn God. Without his direct intervention and salvation, we all would perish. It is only because of his mercy do we have eternal hope. Our broken state serves to remind us of our human weakness and his glorious strength. . .Life's hardships point us to the peace of God and the eternal life he offers us. If life were perfect here, why would we hope for eternity?"
Psalm 119:67, 71, and 75 all affirm the benefit of affliction. The psalmist states in verse 67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word." And again in verse 71 he says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
Living life from an eternal perspective, as Carrie wrote about, takes grit, courage, and a willingness for God to teach us through trials. For many years of my Christian life I fought against God when afflictions came into my life. I chose self-pity and blamed others for what I was going through.
God, in his mercy and grace, allowed a multitude of difficulties to assault me in order to break my prideful, self-centered will. Now, when I choose to live with an eternal perspective, I can do what James said and count it pure joy when I face trials of many kinds.
However, when I fail to spend time with Jesus, I find myself giving in to the cares of this world. Life lived with an earthly perspective loses its joy.
Could I pray for us?
Father, forgive me when I lose my eternal perspective and let the cares of this world snuff out my joy in You. Teach us to truly live above our circumstances and fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Help us view trials as Your way of creating Christ's character in us. Someday You will wipe away every tear, and we will rejoice that every trial on earth was so worth what You did through it. Thank You for loving us. We love You, Lord! In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
"One of the great blessings of trials is that it reveals our desperate state before a soveriegn God. Without his direct intervention and salvation, we all would perish. It is only because of his mercy do we have eternal hope. Our broken state serves to remind us of our human weakness and his glorious strength. . .Life's hardships point us to the peace of God and the eternal life he offers us. If life were perfect here, why would we hope for eternity?"
Psalm 119:67, 71, and 75 all affirm the benefit of affliction. The psalmist states in verse 67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word." And again in verse 71 he says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
Living life from an eternal perspective, as Carrie wrote about, takes grit, courage, and a willingness for God to teach us through trials. For many years of my Christian life I fought against God when afflictions came into my life. I chose self-pity and blamed others for what I was going through.
God, in his mercy and grace, allowed a multitude of difficulties to assault me in order to break my prideful, self-centered will. Now, when I choose to live with an eternal perspective, I can do what James said and count it pure joy when I face trials of many kinds.
However, when I fail to spend time with Jesus, I find myself giving in to the cares of this world. Life lived with an earthly perspective loses its joy.
Could I pray for us?
Father, forgive me when I lose my eternal perspective and let the cares of this world snuff out my joy in You. Teach us to truly live above our circumstances and fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Help us view trials as Your way of creating Christ's character in us. Someday You will wipe away every tear, and we will rejoice that every trial on earth was so worth what You did through it. Thank You for loving us. We love You, Lord! In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
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