“God blesses those who are kind to the poor. He helps them out of their troubles. He protects them and keeps them alive; he publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies” (Psalm 41:1-2 TLB).
Some people are like reservoirs. They collect God’s blessings but then hoard them. Other people are like a straw. They say, “God, help other people through me.” A critical spiritual lesson is that God gives you far more blessings when you’re a straw than when you’re a reservoir. If you want God to bless you, bless others—particularly the most vulnerable in our society. The Bible says, “God blesses those who are kind to the poor. He helps them out of their troubles. He protects them and keeps them alive; he publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies” (Psalm 41:1-2 TLB). God makes many amazing promises to those who give to the poor, but here’s one that might be a favorite. The Bible says in Proverbs 19:17, “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!” (NLT). God considers it a loan to him every time you give to the poor. It’s not a gift; it’s a loan. And God promises that he will always pay you back.
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“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” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).
You can’t reduce stress in your life unless you change how you think. Our stress doesn’t come from the outside but from the inside. Your mind is a special gift from God. It’s capable of storing more than 100 trillion thoughts. It can handle enormous amounts of information. God has given you the freedom to choose what you think about, from among all of that information. The Bible says, “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” (Philippians 4:8 NIV). Paul reminds us that we can choose what we think about, and he encourages us to think about the right things. What we put into our minds impacts how we live. It’s really no wonder we’re stressed when we consider what most of us think about on a regular basis. Many people, even Christians, allow anything and everything into their minds. Reading depressing books and watching depressing movies will lead to only one outcome. What you think affects the way you feel; the way you feel affects the way you act. Guard your mind. Keep your mind on the right things. Philippians 4:8 tells us to fix our minds on these good things. Paul means that we need to make a deliberate choice. Change the channel on our minds. Only allow in things that fit into the characteristics described in that verse. What happens when you do that? You get what God promises in the prior verse: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NIV). Doesn’t that sound like it’s worth it? “As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will” (Luke 9:51 TLB).
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6 CSB). If you don’t know who you are, you’ll find all sorts of people who are more than happy to tell you. Our culture will try to mold you into a certain image. Your parents will try to turn you into what they think you should be. Your friends, your spouse, and your co-workers will all have their ideas, too. Not knowing who you are—and letting everyone else mold you into their image—is a leading cause of stress for people today. Jesus gives us another model. He shows us the principle of identification, which is the first principle of stress management from the life of Jesus. Jesus had no doubt as to his identity. In fact, he defines himself with “I am” statements 18 times in the Bible. He does this every time he says “I am . . .” and then declares key truths. Jesus says: “I am the truth. I am the way. I am the life. I am the Son of God. I am sent from my Father above. I am the door. I am the bread of life. I am the living water.” Jesus knew exactly who he was. And we need to know exactly who we are, who God created us to be. If you don’t know your identity, you’ll depend too much on what other people say about you. Stress happens when you try to be something you’re not. We all start off as originals, but too often we end up as carbon copies of somebody else—because we don’t know who we are. When you learn who you are, you’re less dependent upon the approval of others and you’re more stress-resistant. In John 14:6, we read this: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (CSB). Jesus didn’t need anyone else’s opinions to prop him up. Neither do you.
"You should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12 GW). The Kingdom of God is a present reality. It’s what we’re to be doing on the earth right now. The power of God is the present resource. It’s the energy God gives you so that you can do what he wants you to do once you’ve surrendered and submitted to his will. Romans 11:36 says, “Everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory” (NLT). You might hear people say, “I have so much, yet I feel unfulfilled. I’ve got a good family. I’ve got a good job. I’ve got great kids. I’ve got good friends. I’m part of a good congregation. Why am I so unfulfilled?” It’s because you were made for more than this! You were made for more than survival. You will never find fulfillment in life until you begin to live in God’s Kingdom, by God’s power, and for God’s glory. How do you live a fulfilled life—the kind of life that you were designed by God to live? The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, “You should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (GW). What does it mean to live in God’s Kingdom? It means you make God’s agenda your agenda. You make God’s will your will. You care about what God cares about. Whatever you want God to bless, you put him first in that area. What does it mean to put God first in your life? Here is an acrostic, FIRST, to give you five things you need to put God first in. Finances. If you want God to bless your finances, even during difficult seasons, you must tithe. Sorry! There’s no other alternative. Interests. Put him first in your hobbies, your career, and your recreation. Give God first consideration in every decision. Relationships. Put him first in your family, your marriage, and your friendships. Schedule. Give him the first part of every day. Get up and sit on the side of your bed every morning and say, “God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I just want to love you a little bit more and know you a little bit better.” Troubles. You need to turn to God first when you have a problem. Prayer should never be your last resort. It should be your first choice. Hopefully, this will help you keep God FIRST |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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