“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)
Take a look at that first verse again; “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. It says “never”. That has been a tough one for me at times; admittedly, there have been times when I have been unhappy, sad, hurt, discouraged, dissapointed, disillusioned, afraid, lonely, or angry, and I have felt like God had foresaken me. But, without fail and at just the right time God always shows up! Oftentimes, he shows up in the form of a friend or family member, who knows just what I need, or don’t need.
Sometimes in life we just need someone to stand by us, not to do anything specifically, but just to know that they beleive in us and are willing to stand by us and with us. Do you have a friend or family member like that? I pray you do, and If so, I hope you recognize and acknowledge how blessed and fortunate you are. If you don’t, I pray God will meet that need; send you that special someone to stand by you, love you, and encourage you. I want you to pray for that too, then have faith and believe that God will help you find that “friend that sticks closer than a brother”.
Secondly, and just as important, I hope you will take the time to be that friend for someone else in their time of need…because no matter who we are or where we go…at some point we all need somebody to standy us. Do this and I know you will be happy in life and at work.
Happy Life and Work wishes everyone God’s best this new year. My prayer is that your heart will be open to what God has in store for you in life and at work. I hope this passage and the short two minute video will encourage you to allow God to work in and through your life in 2011.
“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:16-19)
I want to use the greatest story ever told, the Christmas story, the story of the birth of Jesus, to illustrate how anyone who is fearful, lonely, or desperate can find real hope, comfort, peace, healing, joy and satisfaction in life.
Can you imagine being Mary? If there was ever anyone who had reason to be fearful, lonely and desperate, it was Mary. Think about it; she found herself in the middle of some very tough circumstances she did not plan on (unplanned pregnancy), she was very young, very poor, and she was unwed. She was truly an outcast, wanted and loved only by Joeseph (and he himself was unsure about sticking around); from Maty’s perspective, the future looked very bleak and dark. Luke 1:29 tells us that she was “greatly troubled”.
But, everything changed for Mary, didn’t it? Why did things change for Mary? This is what is important for us to understand.
Things changed for Mary when God sent the angel Gabriel to visit her. Gabriel “went to her and said, “Greetings you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” He then comforted her and set her at ease when he compassionatley said, ”Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God.”
Gabriel then went on to explain to her that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, ”the Son of the Most High”. At this point Mary was still uncertain about all this. Although Gabriel had her attention and she was pleased to hear that, even in her condition and circumstances, God valued and favored her, she knew she was a virgin, and in her human understanding she wasn’t quite ready to believe what she was hearing.
So she did what any of us would do, she asked Gabriel “How will this be?”. Gabriel responded by saying, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” He also told her that “nothing is impossible with God.”
It was then that it happened; Mary made the decsion to submit to God’s plan for her life. She boldly says to Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” Mary responded to the love and power of God. She repsonded to the “gift” that was the miracle of Christmas; the one miracle that all other miracles flow from. Mary decided to unwrap the gift of God for her Christams. Mary beleived and trusted God in the midst of what seemed like an impossible set of circumstances. She trusted God to move her from uncertainty and darkness to life and light, and boy did God deliver. Look what Mary says about God her savior:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.” (Luke 1:46-49)
So, the questions for us this Christmas are:
Will we decide to open the gift of God for our Christmas? How will we respond to God?
What are we trusting God for…what miracle do we need?
Will we trust him to move us from a future of uncertainty and darkness to a future of life and light, a future of real hope, peace, healing, joy and happiness in life and at work.
Let me know what you decide, and God bless you and your family this Christmas!
(The following was inspired and taken from a message Craig Parker, my wonderful pastor at Bridgeway Community Church in Fishers, IN. delivered on 9-19-10.)
If you are married, or have been in a relationship, you know that there are times when it seems that the very person you love dearly, and who you believe dearly loves you, seems like your biggest and worst enemy. But is that really the truth, or are we being deceived into thinking that by a very powerful, scheming enemy who would like nothing more than to take us out and prevent us from enjoying a loving and intimate relationship.
When we marry we enter, mostly unknowingly, into the minefields; the minefields include the relational minefield, the financial minefield, the emotional minefield, the medical minefield, the vocational minefield, the parental minefield, and the the spiritual minefield. These are areas of life where issues, challenges, and differences can crop up and derail any relationship.
What happens is simple yet can be very destructive. The issue arises and statements, thoughts, and opinions are expressed and shared. The words we use are often based on feelings not facts, we assume the worst in the other person instead of the best, and before we know it we are fighting one another instead of the real enemy. Why…because the enemy whispers in our ear lies, and we begin to think things like he/she always does this and he/she will never change. Then we begin to reason, as though we are God, that we know why the other person does what they do. The next thing you know you and the someone you love are in a knock-down-drag-out fight and don’t even know why. And worse, you don’t know how to stop and fix it. Allow this to happen enough, and the relationship is in real serious trouble.
So who is the real enemy? And, just as important, who is our real friend and advocate?
The Bible is clear on both of these points. Satan is described as the enemy or the thief, while Jesus is described as our shepherd and our saviour. And on this topic John 10:10 provides us a very clear exhortation:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
So how are we to respond so that we can save our marriages and the other relationships we have with those we love and care about.
First, understand that this is serious business and that the enemy is very powerful and cunning; you are up against a serious threat! His purpose is to destroy your marriage and relationships, send you into an emotional downward spiral, and steal any hope you have for peace and joy in your life.
Second, know, believe, and hold on to the fact that your spouse or other person is not the enemy. The enemy wants us to fight one another, not him. He knows that if we stand together, don’t buy into his lies, and ally against him with the weapons God provides us, he will be defeated.
Lastly, apply the wepons God has provided and instructs us to us in this “spiritual battle” against the enemy. In Ephesians 6:10-18, God calls us to:
“be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
So, the next time you find yourself in a battle with your spouse or someone you love and care for, stop and remember you can’t fight your way out of a spiritual battle…you must pray your way out…together. As we say amen at the end of our prayer(s), we are saying “we agree”! That is very powerful, and scares the enemy, as he knows he is powerless against those who stand together in the name of the Lord!
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)
If my words of encouragement didn’t impact you, perhaps this musical video will help you and those you love go dancing in the minefields. My hope is that you will put on the full armor of God and battle the enemy together, because I know it will help you be happy in life and at work. God’s Peace…
I had lunch with someone I love today; a very special person who has been through a very difficult stretch of life over the last 18 months or so. She is a single mom. Her kids are 18, 12, and 8 years old. She and her three kids were all but abandoned by her ex-husband. He has continued to be engaged with her younger kids to some extent, but for some reason has chosen to remain very distant from her 18 year old son (I’ll call him Bobby). As you can imagine, this has affected Bobby greatly. He has experienced much pain and struggled to make sense of all that has happened in his life over the last two years. At a time when he expected and really needs his dad as a significant strong role model to finish raising him, affirming him as a young man, and releasing him as mighty man of God to be who God has purposed him to be, his dad has all but disowned him. Bobby, although he has experienced some victories and joy recently, has struggled to believe he is valued, to figure out his place in this world, to succeed in school, to stay out of trouble, and to see his future as anything but uncertain.
That mat have changed today! I beleive God has answered prayer and intervened for Bobby. He recently took a career assesment test and met with the career counselor for the results today. For the first time in a very long time, Bobby is beginning to beleive what the Bible tells us about about how God feels about all of us.
God tells us very clearly that we are his sons and daughters and that he loves all of us and has a good and perfect plan for our lives. He tells us that we have been fearfully and wonderfully made; knit perfectly in our mother’s womb! He tells that no matter what he will never leave us nor forsake us! God tells us that we are more than conquerors, and that all things are possible with him! He tells us that he knows every hair on our head! God has created us all, given us all life, you, me, and Bobby! he has a very special purpose for each of us, and has given us very different but wonderful gifts to use for this very special purpose.
Bobby had an “aah ha moment” today, as he began to see and hear from God what his spiritual gifts are and how God can use him and those gifts to serve others and make a future for himself and the family he will have one day. Suddenly Bobby has hope and sees a certain future; God has made him a new creation, and Bobby can see that throughout this time of difficulty God has been right there, in fact, if you look real close, you can see the fingerprints of God all over Bobby.
I imagine that many of you are facing some of the very things Bobby has been facing and struggling with. My hope is that you will know that God loves you, created you with a wonderful purpose and the gifts to accomplish that purpose, and wants more than anything for you to discover what that purpose is and use it to serve others and him every day. I encourage and exhort you to turn to God in prayer, tell him you are tired struggling and striving to blaze your own trail and do what you think is best, tell him that you want to discover his perfect purpose for your life and use your special gifts to serve him, ask him to reveal that to you, allow him to put his fingerprints all over you! You might be surprised, and it might seem crazy, but please trust him and follow his direction…I know if you do you will be Happy in Life and at Work!
To help get you started and excited about knowing that You Were Meant To Be, I have included a great song by Steven Curtis Chapman titled “Meant to Be”. It was recorded specially for Veggie Tales, but is very applicable to all of us, regardless of age. Enjoy!
We all need to stop and smell the coffee more…don’t we? I would also submit that we all need to stop and make coffee for others. Watch this video; you will understand what I am saying…and it will help you become happy in life and at work!
We have all heard people say that “the world’s a tough place” or “it’s a dog-eat-dog world”, and maybe those folks are right. But, I believe living a happy life at home and at work is still very possible. I have spoken to many folks and ask them “are you happy”. If they say yes, I ask why. If they say “not really” or “not totally”, I ask why. After listening to literally hundreds of responses, I thought it might be helpful to craft a list a list of practical steps or principles one can use to get and stay on a path to living a happier life at home and at work. Here it is:
Be purposseful about finding pleasure in the simple things in life…at home and at work.
Make the best of your circumstances; no one has everything, and everyone has something. You will experience joy intermingled with sorrow; allow laughter to outweigh the tears!
Don’t take yourself too seriously; but take serving and being kind to others very seriously.
Understand that you can’t please everyone, so don’t let criticism worry you.
Don’t allow the world to set the standard for you. God says simply, be holy because I am holy. Let God’s standard guide your thoughts, words, choices, and actions.
Pursue your dream(s); the things that energize you…but stay out of debt.
Never borrow trouble; imaginary trials are much harder to bear than real ones.
Jealousy, gossip, and hate can poison the heart and soul; don’t practice any of these and avoid those who do.
Always continue to learn and grow personally, professionally, and spiritually; read, pray, travel, and participate in many activities and interests.
Don’t hold postmortems; don’t brood over sorrows, regrets, or mistakes. Pray and move your feet!
Be a humble, obedient servant; use all that God has blessed you with to be a blessing to those less fortunate.
Take care of yourself; maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get the rest you need.
Give it a try; invite your family and work associates to join you. Practice these practical steps and start living a happier life at home and at work.
The family is the most important institution and organization in the world today. As the health of our families have declined, so has our society. Today most families are chaotic, scattered, disorganized, frantic, confused and stressful. Does this sound familiar to you? Be honest. I know it does to me. The result of this is a structureless, directionless, and dare I say unhappy family. A family where no one really knows one another intimately because we never have or take the time to communicate about dreams, goals, priorities, victories, failures, challenges, or feelings.
Families are very important. Families are important to our society and world. And, families are very important to God; he created them with a purpose, to provide for many of the personal, physical, and spiritual needs we all have.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
So, what can we all do to do create a healthy family? Put simply, stop the insanity. Literally stop, come together and talk to one another. Talk to one another about who we are as family, what makes us unique and special, what is important to us as a family, what we can do together, how we can live our family life to the fullest, etc.
I beleive that, if we would all be very intentional and purposeful in doing this we would have a chance to create a happy, healthy, full family life. And let’s face it, a happy family life can lead to a happy work life!
I was recently introduce to a great book that I believe can help us all accomplish this. The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family, by Patrick Lencioni, is written as a fable, using realistic and humorous characters and plot lines that will keep you turning pages with anticipation while you’re learning how to bring sanity to your family life. And you’ll be amazed how just a little bit of structure and a few minutes of follow-through each week can make the difference between stressful chaos and fulfillment at home. I encourage you to read it with your spouse and talk about how the ideas Lencioni introduces might help you be happy in life and at work.
“A sculptor does not use a ‘manicure set’ to reduce the crude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful. To do His supreme work of grace within you, God will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be!” (A.W.Tozer)
I love this Tozer quote which is used in the opening monologue of the movie the Heart Of Texas”. Today’s thought is not about this movie, but I would highly reccomend seeing it; to see a promo, click hear.
Now, back to the message for this post…
How do you respond when your husband or wife, friends or family trample your emotions? When your child rebels? When you lose a big deal or important client? When your boss fires you unexpectedly? In this very difficult economy, you may have lost thousands in savings or in the value of your 401K or other investments? When disappointments like these smash into your life, you may want to scream, “How could God allow this to happen?”
But, what if God didn’t just “let it happen?” What if the things you treasure the most and hold on to the tightest are damaged or destroyed? What if what you call disappointments are really God’s appointments? What if like a skilled sculptor, He is using your disappointments like the sculptor’s hammer and chisel to chop and carve away the undesirable elements in your life, leaving you pure and radiant…His beautiful masterpiece?
Life’s disappointments can destroy you, or you can become stronger because of them. The dangerous spiral of disappointments can lead to discouragement, disillusionment, depression or even despair. But you can learn to break that cycle and embrace the disappointment and trails with a faith that recognizes that they are the hammer and chisel God uses to make you a reflection of Him. We can follow the selfish course of our natural reactions and be subtly trapped in a downward spiral that swiftly leads into depression and discouragement. Or, we can take those trials and count them all joy, knowing that our faith and endurance will be strengthened. Our disappointments are the stone that God will use to sculpt us as a sculptor would his rough stone. If we respond by taking the steps of trust, obedience and relying on His grace , we will discover that we are being sculpted into His masterpiece that reflects the radiance of His image and character. Knowing this, today as you face those trials or are in the pit of despair, what will be your decision? To continue on that road of despair, or make the turn and trust Him and His grace?
I offer these scriptures to encourage you:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”(James 1:2-4)
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”(Romans 8:28-29)
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)
Sometimes in life we just need someone to stand by us, not to do anything specifically, but just to know that they beleive in us and are willing to stand by us and with us. Do you have a friend or family member like that? I pray you do, and If so, I hope you recognize and acknowledge how blessed and fortunate you are. If you don’t, I pray God will meet that need; send you that special someone to stand by you, love you, and encourage you. I want you to pray for that too, then have faith and believe that God will help you find that “friend that sticks closer than a brother”.
