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

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?”

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……

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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.