Tag Archives: Daily living

Making Good Choices

Culture, Daily living, , ,

arrowsYou have already made dozens of choices today, right? The decisions began as soon as the alarm clock sounded. Get up or snooze 10 minutes. From that point on the choices just keep coming. Most are fairly unimportant, like, should I eat oatmeal or Total cereal for breakfast. The answer really doesn’t matter that much. But some choices are far more important. For example, will I take my blood pressure medicine this morning or just skip it today? Will I make it to the gym for a good session this morning or take the day off. Those choices can make a huge difference in our lives especially if repeated over and over.

Other choices do not directly impact us physically. For example, will I save and pay cash for a new flat screen or will I go ahead and put it on the VISA card. Or maybe you are looking for companionship or a spouse. Where will you look? Will you find someone at church or someone in the local watering hole? Here’s another one – the most important I think: It’s Sunday morning, will I sleep in or will I get up and attend worship? These are all critical choices which will have an impact of some kind on your life sooner or later. Let’s think about choices for a few minutes.

Making Good Choices Requires Looking Ahead

Making good choices requires you to look to the future. Our culture demands immediate or instant gratification. We do not want to wait for anything.  Our parents scrimped and saved to buy the house in which we were raised yet we think our first house should be at least the size of theirs and without the scrimping and saving! We want to be made happy instantly. While instant gratification may be understandable it is crippling us!

Consider that new flat screen television. We’ll keep the numbers simple. Let’s say it is on sale for $500. You don’t have that much cash but you do have a credit card with enough limit left to buy it. So you pay for the TV, bring home and instantly start to watch your favorite shows. That is instant gratification. You are immediately made happy and satisfied. Life is good…or is it?

If you only pay the minimum each month it will take you 71 months to pay the full amount. That’s almost 6 years and probably well beyond the life of your shiny new TV. But here is the painful part. Over the course of the 71 months you will also pay back $270 in interest alone! Your new flat screen just climbed to $770. ((Assumptions are $500 financed at 17% APR with a minimum monthly payment of 3% or $10 per month.)) That hurts. But it get’s worse. Let’s say you took that $270 in interest and put it a retirement account earning a meager 10%. Leave it until you retire, say 35 years, and you get back a whopping $8812.44 without ever adding another penny.

That’s an extreme example but it demonstrates the point that looking beyond the moment often brings great rewards.

Sometimes people meet and decide to marry in a matter of weeks. I think that is unwise although it sometimes works well. But often it ends in divorce because the people do not really know one another. Instead of living happily ever after they spend months in family court fighting over the children who were born into a loveless union. The wise choice comes about over time and is more likely to produce the storybook ending we all hope for.

Good choices look ahead to future years, not days.

Making Good Choices Demands Thought

Have you ever made a snap decision and then regretted it? I have made many. Traveling to Atlanta once I stopped into a major electronics store and bought a new GPS. I didn’t research it I didn’t ask anyone about it and I didn’t read any reviews. I soon discovered that the maps were, in some cases 10 years out of date. I called the company to complain and was told that I should have checked it out better for my area. I was stuck. The problem was clear: I didn’t about what I was doing.

A lack of clear and deliberate thought mark many of our choices. We act quickly and soon regret the decision. Grocery stores learned long ago to place certain items at the checkout counter to encourage “impulse” buying.

The solution? Slow down! When dealing with sales and purchases determine ahead of time your acceptable price and do not be moved. When the salesman comes at you with a price that is “good for today only” just smile and walk away. The price will be there tomorrow. Avoid being forced into a quick buy before you have considered the options.

When making decisions about relationships deep thought is even more important. While you may not be able to decide exactly who you will wed you can have a good idea of the kind of person you are looking for. What are the qualities you seek in a mate? Honesty? Hard work? Devotion to the Lord? Once you have identified those characteristics you are then prepared to start looking. Where would you expect to find such a person? At a casino? Maybe a club or bar? Would you expect a person who cannot hold a job to meet those characteristics? No, of course not. Relationship standards should be set high and kept high.

It may actually be good to drag your feet a bit when it comes to relationships. If there is true love then it will be there next month or even next year. But sometimes we mistake lust for love or the physical for the spiritual. Take your time and think. Here are three quick questions to ask yourself before getting deeper into a relationship.

  1. Does this person improve me? It’s nice to help others and try to improve them but marriage is not the place for such benevolence. Remember, people rarely change once in a relationship.
  2. Very specifically, what are the traits that attract me the most about this person? Once you have an answer then ask the next question, are these traits ageless or temporary? Looks fade and beauty is fleeting but the inner traits have greater permanence.
  3. Am I prepared for the responsibilities this relationship will bring? Love is vital but you cannot pay the light bill from a love account. You can’t buy groceries with hugs and kisses. Remember that beneath the love lie many long term responsibilities that affect other people. Are you ready?

Take your time and think!

Making Good Choices Demands Discipline

Children aren’t the only ones who need discipline. Adults need discipline. But what is exactly is discipline? Discipline is saying “no” when you want to say “yes”; it is saying “yes” when you want to say “no.”

Once you’ve given good and honest thought to your decision; once you have looked into the future to understand the implications of your decision; its time to act. Do you have the strength to walk away? Do you have the power to accept your own good decision? Not always, at least I don’t have that kind of power – yet.

Discipline is like exercise. It becomes easier with use. Once you muster the strength to discipline your wants just one time you will find greater strength for the next occasion. The hardest part is taking that very first step. Walking away without the $500 flat screen that you want so badly seems impossible but you can do it. Here are a few tips to help.

  • Take a trusted person with you when you shop. They must themselves be stronger and wiser than you. They must also have the courage to stand up to you.
  • Don’t say “No,” say “later.” Instead of telling yourself that you cannot have the flat screen, just tell  yourself that you will come back tomorrow. Sleep on it. It’s funny how quickly the need fades as you step out of the store.
  • Keep a list of victories. Keep a running total of how much money you saved by walking away. It’s a huge encouragement.
  • Learn from your past. Good choices require that you look ahead but you should also remember the past. Do you remember that last relationship that went so badly? Why? What did you learn?

Maturity is a house built with broken blocks and shattered bricks. We learn because of our mistakes. Discipline grows because of determination and hard work.

Making Good Choices Demands Prayer

Of all the things we have mentioned this is most important. It steps beyond our own abilities and takes us to One who truly has the answers. The Bible pictures God as out Father and attributes to him the characteristics we look for in a good father. Consider Luke 11:11-13

“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;  or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Many who read this are parents. Did you always give your children what they wanted? Of course not. We shouldn’t expect God to give us anything and everything we ask but he will give us our needs. Here’s another passage from Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. “

God promises a good outcome for those who trust him. Not everything that happens will be good but it will all work out in His divine plan. So let us accept his offer of wisdom (James 1:5) and then apply that wisdom and prayer to our own lives.

Making good choices is possible with a little work and dedication. Give it a try and you will be pleased.

 

Spirit of Desperation

Church Bulletin, Daily living, Jesus,

Life moves along nicely most of the time. As a Christian, when troubles does come, we know that we can call upon God for deliverance. Jesus promises to be close and to hear our prayers. The Lord is like the proverbial  ace up our sleeve. We keep Him in there, hidden, until just the right moment and we bring Him out to win the hand. We use Him when we need Him. We are glad he is near but we aren’t desperate for his presence. We get along just fine without his help most of the time but we are never frantic for his intense nearness.

David Platt, author of Radical, talks about the need for a spirit of desperation in our lives. That is the pressing, almost overwhelming need for Jesus in  our daily lives. Platt speaks appropriately of a desperate need to evangelize but as I read his words it became clear that what was really in view was an acknowledgment that I can’t go on without that divine presence in every corner of my life. Apart from God and his blessed Son, I am a failure at every level. My success and all of my achievements are linked inseparably to the Father.

Do you recall Paul’s comment that “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10)? The apostle depended on God and his grace for every ability he was given. This great man with fleshly accolades beyond measure (Philippians 3:4-6) and who was even the object of worship (which he rejected) (Acts 14:11-15) knew that everything depended on God. Go back to the Philippian passage and read the next several verses.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11)

Notice carefully: Paul was so desperate for Christ that he was willing to suffer great loss and disadvantage so that he could know Christ. He becomes even more extreme in his next statement. He says he counts all things as trash – rubbish – garbage against the treasure of being found faithful in Christ. When the storm howls and the ship is taking on water a sailor will throw off the most valuable cargo onboard just to live. The sailor is desperate and takes equally desperate measures to save his own life. Shouldn’t Christians think the same way? When sin surrounds us and our faith is fast vanishing; when we are spiritually going down for the last time; we must take desperate measures to survive. We must be willing to “trash” everything for the safety of the Savior’s presence.

One might reason that his life is just fine. I have what I need in this life and it is not affecting my walk with Christ. Really? That was the same rationalization of the young man Jesus spoke to in Luke 18:18-23. When the young man came to Jesus he thought his life was fine. He was a good, synagogue-going Jew who was taught the Law as a child and practiced it as an adult. But his pride in his own accomplishments quickly faded when Jesus took him to the root of his previously unacknowledged crisis. This young man loved his possessions too much! Matthew and Mark record that the young man went away sorrowful because he was rich.

When our minds are heavenward but our lives are anchored in the earth and its attractions we will be miserable. Only a desperate searching for God can relieve the tension.

Do you want Christ? Do you need Him? Do you desperately need Him? He can be found!

God the Remodeler

Daily living, Encouragement, Hosea, ,

Have you ever remodeled a home or office? It’s a mess. We’re doing some remodeling at the Eastern Shore church at the moment. Before anything new can be built the old stuff has to be torn away. Old ceiling, cabinets, walls, flooring; it all has to be torn down before the new materials can be added.  It’s a messy process but needed.

The same happens to the Christian. The old ways have to be destroyed before the regeneration (remodeling) can begin. God’s prophet Hosea said it this way:

“Come let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).

We don’t normally think of God as one who destroys or tears down. We don’t think the Lord would strike us down. But Hosea says otherwise and other Scriptures support the idea.

In Romans 6:6 Paul says “our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing…” Our destruction comes before our reconstruction. In Ephesians 4:20-24 the apostle says we were taught to “put off your old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.” Again, destroy the old so we can be renewed.

One more: “Do not lie to one another seeing you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:9-10). Clean out the old before putting in the new. It seems clear that there must be some tearing down and trashing of the old man before he can be remodeled. No one lays a beautiful new Berber carpet over a 1970’s era orange shag carpet. The old must go!

Hosea recognized that God can and will bring us down before building us up. It is often in the depths of our despair that we come to know God. Only when there is nothing left do we really see his love for us. Even Paul had trouble understanding this idea until he had begged for deliverance from some unknown “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). His conclusion was:

“I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

God’s greatest leaders have always been broken before they could be used. Noah spent 120 years laboring over a boat; Abraham wandered as a nomad; Moses fled luxury to tend cattle; even Jesus suffered in the wilderness. In fact the Bible says Jesus “emptied Himself” (Philippians 2:7) so that he could redeem mankind. Like these great men, let us surrender to God so that he might first break us and empty us before rebuilding and refilling our spirit.

When trouble comes, could it be the Lord working to tear us down so that he can rebuild us? It is a frightening thought but one that leaves behind the prospect of a God-built spirit. Remember the words of the psalmist: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain…” (Psalm 127:1).

The “Smoothing” of the Old Rugged Cross

Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, Jesus, , ,

Crucifixion was a horrible way to die. The Romans intended it that way. A criminal might languish for hours and hours as his life slowly drained away. The very public death was also intended to be humiliating. The near naked man was displayed for all to see and to berate with every conceivable insult. There was nothing easy about crucifixion. The Bible writers said that Jesus “endured” the horrors of Calvary (Hebrews 12:2). Oxford says to endure is to suffer through something painful and prolonged with patience. Jesus patiently suffered through pain, agony and humiliation.

As ugly as crucifixion was, it is an event to be shared by those who are followers of the Lord. We are to walk in his footsteps in all areas of life and death. Paul said he wanted to ”share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 1:5), Peter echoes the same thought that we suffer with Christ (1 Peter 4:13). Men normally do not choose the manner and time of their death and so cannot literally be crucified. But the idea is that Christians still endure suffering as they follow after Christ.  Many examples illustrate the idea. Disciples are to “share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:5). We are to “work hard” (Acts 20:35) to serve the Lord.  We follow the example of men like Paul (1 Corinthians 11:1) who discounted all of life’s pleasures so that he might follow after Christ and come to know him (Philippians 3:7-11). The Christian life is not a life of ease or pleasure. It is modeled after a Savior who wandered the lands seeking the lost. It is modeled after his earliest followers who struggled and died for His cause.

If we now turn to the present day we see a contrast between the lowly, struggling Christians of the early church and the comforted, at ease Christians of today. Suddenly, the old rugged cross isn’t quite so rugged anymore.

Some have sought to turn to a life of deliberate, induced suffering  living as monks or nuns (monasticism) or through self inflicted rituals (asceticism). But such is not taught to followers of Christ. Like our Lord, our suffering comes not from things we deliberately do to ourselves but from things arising from our service to God. Jesus wandered Palestine with few possessions and  then submitted to a cruel death not because of some value inherent in suffering, but because His pursuit of serving God led Him into those things. His devotion was such that it produced suffering – not the other way around. If devotion produces suffering – and there is no suffering – is there devotion? You decide.

The by-word of modern society is “tolerate” and the motto is “you’re ok, I’m ok.” We are taught to blend into society and accept the advance of culture. To violate these societal norms is to bring humiliation and ostracism. Perhaps the ease with which we navigate the present culture should suggest a lack of devotion?

Our churches are ornate and have the finest padding on the pews and the best air conditioning and heating that can be purchased. We drive expensive automobiles from our fine homes to worship. We have convinced ourselves that we can easily fit Christianity into our lives. May we suggest that we should fit our lives around our faith? We have taken sandpaper to the old rugged cross and smoothed it so much that it is no longer burdens us. We have changed it. It has not changed us.

The Need for Good

Church Bulletin, Daily living,

The business of being a good person is a worthy pursuit. We desire goodness in others especially when they are dealing with us. We should try to be good people ourselves and show that quality to others when we deal with them.

Goodness speaks to the quality of our hearts. While one may be able to fake some characteristics it is difficult to fake being good because it originates from our own spirit or heart. If the heart is bad, goodness cannot flow.  Paul wrote that it is because of a bad heart that God gives some up to a life of sinfulness (Romans 1:24). Jesus says that what comes out of the heart corrupts or defiles a person (Mark 7:21). It is impossible to have a truly good man with a bad heart.

Convicted criminal Al Capone of Chicago was known to give money to the needy and buy milk for school children. Yet Capone is commonly believed to have ordered the infamous Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929 in which seven members of a competing gang were gunned down execution style. A façade of goodness will not cover a truly corrupt heart.

A person controlled by a good heart produces good works. That was Paul’s contention in Galatians 5:16-25. He argues that godly person is driven by a godly spirit which produces good in a person’s life. Qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience and more naturally flow from a person with a good heart or spirit. That person is not controlled by what he wants to do (the flesh) but by what he should do (the spirit).

A man’s heart can change, sometimes drastically. Some will say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But in the presence of Jesus’ love all things are possible. Consider the people of Corinth. “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,  nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

But before that change can come, people must come to the Lord in humble submission and obedience. I really like Jesus’ comforting words in Matthew 11:28.

“Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

For the one who wants to leave the corruption of the world and find true goodness  there is but one source and that is Jesus. For the one who desires to be truly good there is one teacher, Jesus. For the one who wants to be known as a good man or good woman,  there is only one example, Jesus.

Are you willing to surrender to him?

Can Money Make You Happy?

Culture, Daily living

There’s a new story from FOX DC which suggests that more money can really make you happier. It’s a large study of 136,000 people from around the world. If true it goes against much of which we have been taught, namely, that money cannot buy happiness. Certainly money is important. Being able to afford the necessities of life and a few luxuries probably goes far in decreasing anxiety but does it produce happiness?

I guess it depends on how happiness is defined. My first thought after reading the article is that people are settling for something they call happiness but which is really more along the lines of acceptance or satisfaction.

What are your thoughts? Please leave your comment below.

A Reasonable New Year’s Resolution

Bible General, Daily living,

The giant Moonpie has dropped (Mobile, Alabama’s version of the Times Square Ball) and the New Year has begun. Resolutions will soon be dropping by the wayside. “Resolution Reduction” occurs because we bite off too much. For example, if I declare I will loose 100 pounds by April 1st I will certainly fail. Instead a resolution to eat more fruits and vegetables is more reasonable.

Spiritual resolutions suffer too. Many beginning reading the Bible all the way through in one year. Genesis, Exodus and Numbers are  interesting but Leviticus becomes an impenetrable wall. Many readers are stopped by the minuscule detail of the Leviticus.

Let me suggest this: Resolve to the Bible everyday. Be a Daily Bible Reader.

As a minister, I am not worried about where you are reading. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). I am, however, worried that you read something everyday. God’s word is a “light to my feet” (Psalm 119:105). You cannot navigate the obstacles of life without the Bible anymore  than you can walk through dense woods without light. You must know God’s word.

Make your daily Bible reading a part of a daily devotional. Choose your time and place and do not fail to meet with God.

Reading the Bible through in a year, or even twice in a year is a fine goal. But it  is unattainable for many. Avoid the disappointment. Read the Bible every day!

What are your thoughts? Please share them with us in the comments section below.

Finished With Christ?

Culture, Daily living

I guess it’s good that people think about Jesus at least once or twice a year. I mean, apart from Christmas and Easter some folks could go years and never even think of the Savior. But I am also concerned that some may feel satisfied with their “duties” done after attending a church service during Christmas week. It’s almost like getting your ticket punched for the next 12 months.

A disciple knows nothing of one-day service. A servant never disregards his master. As we begin to pack up the decorations and finish off the cake and cookies, let’s remember the Christ always and let’s out Him first in all we do.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all
these things will added unto you…(Matthew 6:33)

You Matter

Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living,

Excuse me, may I have your attention please? Yes, you – the person reading this article. I need to tell you something very important: You make a difference. In fact, you make a really BIG difference is so many ways. Please read on and let me explain.

It’s a little odd but in the middle of a culture of which tells people they are the measure of all things, many people are truly humble about their place in the world. We could even say they are over-humble. They do not believe that they matter. Present or absent, here or there, their presence is simply irrelevant.

But every person does matter and no one is irrelevant.

You matter because you were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). It was only after God created everything else that mankind was made. He is the crowning achievement of God’s creative work. While we do share some characteristics with animals we have been given a superior position. The Bible never says animals were created in God’s image – only mankind. When God breathed into man the “breath of life” (Genesis 2:7), he endowed man with something special, namely a soul. You will live forever for that soul is eternal and cannot be destroyed.

You matter because your life is worth the death of God’s Son (John 3:16). I am not really sure that we will ever fully appreciate the death of Jesus. He was pure and holy, undefiled by sin (Isaiah 53) yet he was made to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because he took on himself the sins of the world he faced the ultimate penalty which was death and separation from God. This death set the stage for the greatest victory ever. He shook off the bonds of death and stepped forth from the grave (John 20:1-10). This entire ordeal was for you. You are special!

You matter because your reward is great (Revelation 21). If you were unimportant, irrelevant or just did not matter, no one would go to great lengths to provide a place of perfect and eternal rest for you. But Jesus promised to “prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). In some way, unknown to us now, Jesus has been making ready a place for those who love and obey him. If Jesus is working on your behalf now, doesn’t that mean something? Yes, it means you are very important.

You matter because you touch others as no one else can. When famous people die, throngs of people weep and mourn. None of us will see the outpouring of grief they do. However we mean much to our many friends and family members. They love us not for our perfections but in spite of our imperfections. Even when we have failed miserably, they love us. We are special to them. There is something in the way you talk or act that is unique and you are loved for it.

Because you matter, give your best in all you do (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Someone is always watching you. Someone is trying to imitate you. Maybe a child, possibly a spouse, someone is watching closely. What life will you show them? What if your children, seeing your example daily, grow up to be just like you? You are a pattern for someone.

What will they learn? Will they see godly priorities in your life? Is every decision made around God and with prayers to him? Is there a spirit of thankfulness to the Father in your life? Do you love the church that Jesus died for?  In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul wrote, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” His readers could see Christ in him. By following Paul they were following Christ. You are so special and through you others can see Christ if you let his light shine in you. Remember, YOU MATTER!