Being vulnerable with those close to you and with God is critical to having joy in our lives and being happy in life and at work.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! (Proverbs 3:5-8 The Message)
I discovered this video presentation that helps us practically understand why God’s word encourages us to open up our lives at a depth we not accustom to, to share our lives more intimately than the world tells us we should, and be vulnerable with our lives with those we love and care for, including our Heavenly Father. I hope you find it helpful.
In the midst of everything that life has to throw at us, isn’t it good to know that God has it all under control. In fact, you could say that He has the blueprint for our life. We just need to give up control and trust him; walk in faith, a faith that holds on to God’s truths and promises. We need to stop striving, and start abiding in the one who creates us, loves us, and has a wonderful plan for our lives.
Jeremiah 29:11 says:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
“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)
Are you someone who normally finds it difficult to be happy in life and at work? Is it worse for you around Christmas and the holidays? If so, I am sorry, and I hope a favorite passage of mine will help.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)
Proverbs 15:13 says it this way: “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit”
You may read this and say “duh…I get it, but first you have to have a “cheerful heart”. You’re right, but many times we don’t have a cheerful heart because we chose not to. We chose to think about and dwell on the very things that get us and keep us down. The pity party begins and before we know it we are in the pit and can’t find our way out.
This leads me to another one of my favorite passages…
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)
This great passage tells us how to get out of the pit and stay out; how to create and maintain a “cheerful heart”. God does not want us to sad, discouraged, depressed, or downcast…even when we are faced with trials, challenges and times of uncertainty. Quite the contrary, look at what he says we should do during these times: turn toward him (did you notice it says “The Lord is near”), seek him, rejoice, stay calm, pray and give thanks, present our requests to him, think positively, and do what is right. And, do you see what he promises us when we put our faith in him and trust him in our circumstances:
“the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
“the God of peace will be with you.”
I don’t know about you, but I think it is very comforting to know that the God of the universe loves me, and wants to walk with me through tough, painful, unhappy situations and give me a peace that “transcends all understanding”!
The question is, how will we respond to our Heavenly Father? Here’s how I beleive we should respond; starting this Christmas and continuing beyond, let’s all follow God’s prescription for a cheerful heart, after all, it is good medicine. If we do this, I believe we will be happier in life and at work.
A very happy, merry and meaningful Christmas to you all; God’s peace!
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!
As I continue to study, research and discuss with others the concept of happiness and what it really takes to be happy, I discover more and more information, data, and feed back that supports the notion that the key to happiness and being content is significantly and directly linked to our degree of thankfulness or gratitude. I hope you will listen to this short video on this topic by Dennis Prager, and let me know what your thoughts are.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
When God touches anything, in any way, it changes, becomes different, becomes better…becomes new!
When God finally got my attention on November 22, 1996 and I surrendered my heart and life to him, things began to change. God began to take me through the fire to refine me. The fire was never comfortable; it always took me outside my comfort zone. But God had a plan; a plan to change me, and grow me into someone he would ultimately use to serve him by serving others. He was carefully and perfectly molding me into a new creation.
At first, I resisited doing the things he asked me to do, meeting the people he wanted me to meet, participating in the activities he wanted me to participate in. I had pride still wanted to do things my way; set my own course, but as I got to know him better and began to allow his love for me to soften my heart, I realized that his will and direction for my life was exactly what I wanted; It energized me and filled my heart with joy and purpose that I had not experienced before.
I have learned, that, especially when God is asking me to follow him into a tough set of circumstances, I need to follow and trust him because God’s leading and his will for my life, even if it is outside my comfort zone, is always best! Jesus knew this and gave us the very best example of how we are to respond. God asked and was leading Jesus to die on the cross…to give his life for you and I. The time was nearing and Jesus was literally sweating and agonizing about what his Father was asking him to do. Luke 22:41-43 tells us this:
“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.”
So, the next time you are feeling led into a tough situation in life or at work, don’t resist; allow God to take you through that situation, allow him to teach what he wants to teach you and allow God to further mold you into the new creation he wants you be. Pray the same prayer Jesus prayed. If you do this, I believe with all my heart that you will be happy in life and at work!
I have always been a very active and competitive person. Beginning when I was very young I loved to compete at everything I did; I always expected to perform well and hated to lose! I was up to competing at anything; I swam, played golf, played football, baseball, and basketball, I ran, and I cycled. And, as I moved from athletics to career, I loved to compete in business; always trying to do my best, do it better, do it faster, do it safer, etc.
I’m not sure why God has given me such a competitive drive, but he has. In most instances it is a good thing, but it can be a problem at times. I can get disappointed, discouraged, and unhappy about my performance, if I do not get the results I expect or want. If I am playing golf, working out, cycling, or even just pitching to my two baseball playing sons I have high expectations. If I am working on a deal or a project I have high expectations. It can often be difficult for me to accept that I am getting older and can’t do the things that once came so easily. I still want and expect to do well. My perspective has had to change as my abilities and energy have changed.
I have learned to look at three important aspects of performance and be realistic about the results:
1. Ability – What am I genuinely and honestly capable of doing.
I used to be able to ride a bike 125 miles while averaging 22-23 miles per hour…not any more! I used to be able to push myself at work, staying up late and getting up early to work on big deals and critical projects; not so much any more!
2. Motivation – How driven am I to accomplish something and why.
I used to live to hit the road on my bike and destroy anyone who dared to try to keep up with me; now I just ride on a trainer indoors to maintain fitness. I once stepped on the golf course with the expectation of shooting 72-76 and beating whoever I was playing with; I now enjoy the opportunity to be outside and enjoy great fellowship with family and great friends. I once could not stand it if I was beat out for a deal, order, or project; I now enjoy having a full but reasonable workload with deals and projects I enjoy and that allow me time to relax, refresh, and recharge.
3. Attitude – Determines how well I do what it is I am doing.
This has remained consistent because I believe it is still important to do things well. Although I ride my bike much less, I still ride with a purpose; I spend 45 minutes instead of 5 hours, but still enjoy getting specific and purposeful workouts in. I take on less accounts and projects, but I am focused and enjoy the relationships that come with those more than I ever did.
So as you seek to be Happy in life and at work, consider honestly and sincerely your ability, your motivation, and your attitude as you endeavor to take on your life and career challenges. Strive for excellence, but learn to enjoy what you are doing and to appreciate the people God has placed in your path along the way.
(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…
Being vulnerable with those close to you and with God is critical to having joy in our lives and being happy in life and at work.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! (Proverbs 3:5-8 The Message)
