Being Happy :)

Last week in church, our minister said something that really hit hard.  He said that the worst thing to ever happen to the American family was the notion that parents just want their kids to be happy.  What would Jesus say about this?  What does the Bible teach us?

I believe that this minister’s words are exactly in line with the Bible’s teaching.  I’m no expert in the Bible, but I don not recall It ever commanding us to do what makes us happy.  It commands us to do what is right in the eyes of GOD.  Doing what is right and doing what makes us happy are often two different things.  Calling in sick to work (when we’re not sick) just so we can sit at home and relax all day might make us happy, but the right thing to do would be to go into work and do our absolute best at what we do.

How many marriages have been destroyed because a certain action (i.e. cheating) made someone happy?  How many people are hooked on drugs or alcohol because using them made them happy?

Fortunately for us Believers, doing what is right does eventually lead to happiness…..and eternal life

Are We Building Our House or Tearing it Down?

Proverbs 14:1 reads “The wise woman builds her house, but the fool pulls it down with her hands.”

This text could mean two different (yet similar) things.  I read it to mean that you reap what you sow, or that you truly do make your own bed in life.

King Solomon frequently writes about two kinds of people in life: the wise and the foolish.  So for each of us, we have a proverbial “house.”  We are either building it up (making it better) or tearing it down (making it worse).  I have known several people in life (including me) who are or have been in a bad situation.  Sometimes people are simply victims of circumstance.  Most times, people are victims of their own actions.  Bad things do happen to good people.  But if you’ve ever known someone whom trouble follows; I’d bet that trouble isn’t following them, trouble is created by them.

So for the rest of the day, with each action I take I will ask myself, “am I building or tearing down my house?”

Pride = Fool (Usually)

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that those among us (which sometimes includes me) who are full of self pride, are complete fools.  They are truly legends in their own mind.  While they brag and boast, they are too self-absorbed to notice that everyone else is rolling their eyes in disgust.

So what does the Bible say about this?

Proverbs 14:3  In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride….

How true!  Every so often, I become proud of myself.  My accomplishments, my skills, my lifestyle, and so-on sometimes give me great pride.  When that pride wells up inside of me, I find myself acting foolish.  I become arrogant, self-centered, and a know-it-all.  Eventually, my words reflect this pride.  This happens just before I do or say something really foolish and my pride blows up in my face, and I look like a FOOL!

I heard of a “great” man in history (can’t remember who) who lead a nation.  He was highly regarded and very wealthy.  He hired another man to walk beside him with the sole purpose of reminding him that he was just a man.

So the next time I feel self pride, I need to stop and remind myself that I am just a man……

A Six Year Old Gets It, But I Don’t

My wife told me that she gave her six-year-old daughter money to buy popcorn at school.  When she got to school, she saw a collection for the people of Haiti.  She gladly put all of her popcorn money into that collection.  Children tend to be very selfish, and it is through the process of growing up that they learn to be generous.  Here is a six-year-old, that is more generous than a 35 year old (me).

She gets it.

I don’t.

I haven’t given anything to Haitian relief efforts.  All I can think of is that they are ripe with fraud and little if any of the money we give will get to those who need it.  For most of my adult life GOD has blessed me with financial security.  I keep track of every dollar I earn and spend.  I average 1.5% giving to charity.  Disgusting.  GOD has given me all of this and I can only muster up 1.5%.

So from now on, I will do my best to act like a six-year-old that I know.

I Should Praise God……every chance I get

Romans 9:17

¹⁷For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Even though God spoke to Pharaoh, HE could be speaking directly to me.  It’s no secret that even though I’ve had my share of challenges in life (and still do), God has continuously “raised me up.”  Why?  So HE can display HIS power and so HIS name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

When I or anyone else gets something in life (new house, car, etc) people take notice.  While they’re noticing, we should take the time to express that whatever it is we just received, it really came from GOD.

Hot Chocolate

I have no idea from where this originated; I received it in a chain e-mail.  I think it has a lot of relevance during this so-called “Christmas” season where people focus a LOT on getting and receiving expensive gifts rather than the things that are really important in life.  It’s a little long, but worth the time to read!

A group of graduates, well established in their careers,
were discussing their lives at a class reunion.  They decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired, who was always an inspiration to them.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work, lives and relationships.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups.  Some cups were porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He invited each to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand,
the professor shared his thoughts.

“Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.”

“While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.”

“The cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.”

“What each of you really wanted was hot chocolate.  You did not want the cup . . . but you consciously went for the best cups.”

“And soon, you began to eye one another’s cups.”

Now friends, please consider this . . .Life is the hot chocolate . . .
Your job, money and position in society are the cups.”

“They are just tools to hold and contain life.”

“The cup you have does not define,
nor does it change, the quality of life you are living.”

“Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup,
we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.”

Always remember this . . . . . . . . . .God brews the hot chocolate, He does not choose the cup. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have!!

Live simply . . .
Love generously . . .
Care deeply . . .
Speak kindly . . .

Leave the rest to God.

~ and  remember ~

The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least.

Enjoy your hot chocolate!!

Romans 6:21 – The Benefits of Sin

²¹What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?

I read this last night during small group and it really hit home.  I look back over my life and think of the sins I’ve committed, and the benefits of those sins.  In every case, the benefit of that sin was a brief moment of satisfaction and nothing else.

For example, the sin I committed and continue to commit the most is labeling and judging people.  What benefit do I get from doing that?  Perhaps a very brief moment of feeling like I am better than that person, and that’s it-nothing else.

So why do I continue to do it?

In God We Trust (well….not really)

In reading the Bible, it’s apparent God REALLY wants us to trust Him.  It’s like he puts us in difficult situations, then beams with pride if we just trust Him and don’t worry, or watches with disappointment when we focus inward and take our eyes off Him.

I’ve been out of work for seven months and haven’t had a paycheck for four months, and I have a baby on the way.  Needless to say, trusting God isn’t easy at this point.  I started off trusting Him 100% – I was actually smiling on my last day of work at GM because I couldn’t wait to see what God had in store for me.   Little did I know he had seven months and counting of unemployment in store for me.

I believe it was John Wooden who said “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”

I think this quote could be a small key in unlocking great mystery of God’s will.  Perhaps difficult situations are (at times) BLESSINGS from God.  And in our twisted, greedy, selfish, and worldly view of things, we view God’s blessings as curses.  So if we were to follow John Wooden’s advice, and make the best of bad situations, we may see that they are actually God-given opportunities that (if we can make the best of it) can become blessings.

Romans 1:16 Am I Ashamed of the Gospel?

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

I can honestly say that I’m not ashamed of the gospel, or for being a follower of Jesus.  In fact, my Facebook page announces it.  But do my other actions follow my claim?  Sadly, no.  You don’t even have to know me, or even meet me to know that I am a huge fan of the Michigan State Spartans.  One only needs approach my driveway and see the MSU license plate on my car.  Go to my porch and you will see the MSU mat.  Go inside, and you find MSU stuff hanging on my walls, MSU coffee mugs, MSU hats, and MSU clothing.  But you’d have to search around to find a Bible, a couple of shirts, and a hat that proclaim my Christianity.

So, if I weren’t ashamed, but rather proud of my Christianity, you’d think that I’d have more Jesus-stuff than MSU stuff.  I guess I’ll have to add this to my long list of things I need to change about myself.

GO STATE…………GO JESUS

 

Romans 1:12 – We Need Each Other

Romans 1:12 – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

The Book of Romans was written by Saul of Tarsus (who later became Paul).  He was a murderer of Christians who hunted them down and had them killed.  After his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he became a leader of the new Christian movement.  Before he was executed for spreading the Word of God, he wrote many teachings, eleven of which are know books of the Holy Bible.

Where am I going with this?  Here is a man who must be very strong in his faith, right?  I mean he went from murdering Christians to spreading Christianity, he risked his life to spread the teachings of Jesus.  He ended up being executed for spreading the Word of God.  This sounds like a man with strong, unwavering faith, right?  But read what he wrote in Romans 1:12; he specifically says that WE (not YOU, but WE) need each other to encourage our faiths.  After all this man had been through, he is still reaching out to others because he needs encouragement in his faith.

So what do I learn from this?  I learn the importance of joining and being active in small groups.  I see how important it is to surround myself with others who have faith and to encourage each other mutually.  This is what God wants.  He wants us to lock arms with others and help each other, encourage each other, and support each other every single day.  No matter how strong we think we are, or how deep our faith runs, we need other people.