There are many contradictions in life and none more easily seen than when contrasting how God teaches us to live by His Word, the Bible, and how we are taught in the world, the school of hard knocks.
For instance the classic for me was to 'look after number one', because nobody else was going to look after me. How different this is compared to God's way where He says, look after others and He will look after us. Another example is that Jesus taught the disciples not to worry about what they would wear, about food and shelter, but just "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you" (Mathew 6:25-34).
In "every day modern life" we tend to live flat out because things have to be done 'now'. We are tired, stressed, impatient, selfish and barge our way forward with all the worries of the world on our shoulders. We have downers to help us sleep, uppers to wake us up, coffee for the kick start in the morning, beer at lunch to soothe the stress and wine at night to help us wind down. The more we live this way, stress abounds and I have found it leads to ill health, indecisiveness and lack in ones life.
What does Jesus say in (Mathew 6:25-34), "Don't worry"? Ten times in this passage He says don't worry!! Why?
I have found that if we simply stop living this way for a while, (Romans 12:1-2) and put our trust in God, then life changes for the better. Through right living, He can and will bless us daily in every area. Take some time and read these passages in the Bible. Psalm 1, Joshua 1 and Jeremiah 17:5-8, and begin to see God's Kingdom Principles, and you will find out that you can TEST God to see if He has integrity. God is God and He honours His Word. The Bible is God's Word. If you read Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 again, you will find a great challenge, one which my wife and I have taken up and we can verify that God is a God of integrity and He does honour His word.
How does God want us to live? When we read the Bible there are lots of rules and regulations and lots of things we do not understand. The Bible can seem so complicated. The more I read though, the more I understand that because of my weak nature, my sinful desires, the more I realise it is so hard to do the right thing.
What are my standards of living for today ? Where do the limits begin and end? Well I don't drink or swear anymore, but can I steal that pen from work, do I use the bosses phone behind his back, do I work hard or do I bludge for the day? Can I justifiably get angry with my wife and kids and carry on as if nothing is wrong, even when I know I am going against God's will?
I believe that is why Jesus did and could sum up all these rules and regulations into 2 great commandments. We read them in Mathew 22: 37-40. Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandment hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Jesus said to love God and love your neighbour as yourself. Why you might be asking? Look what the Bible says!! God has written His laws on our hearts (Ps.37:31, Jer.31:33, 2 Cor.3:3 ) and has given us a conscience. When we follow our conscience we will inevitably begin to follow God and His Ways. Life begins to get better when you put other people first. Life gets better when you love God, others and yourself. Life gets better when you realise that you aren't the most important person in the world. Care for someone, help someone, give something to someone without expecting anything back. Try it, try Gods way, prove it for yourself.
It is by living with this very attitude of love for God and others and oneself, that will bring us more in tune with God and more out of tune with the world and its misdeeds. Look at it this way; love gives, but selfishness takes. Love cares for others but self looks after me. If you think about these two examples, which do you think is the better way to live?
Colin Thomson is an Electrician who works the Internet part time for extra income. He has been a Christian for 7 years and loves the Lord and His ways. You can get in touch with him through his affiliate opportunites at no obligation if you so wish through his website http://www.cthomson.plus.com
car service from Midway Burlington .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareJohn 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that... Read More
People have always sought the sacred. It is the Divine... Read More
Far to many people have become "followers" rather than BEING... Read More
We all know that the best laid plans of mice... Read More
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and... Read More
Heaven is a place of abundance and earth is a... Read More
Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell recently starred in the movie... Read More
A magnificent source of life insurance and it's FREE. You... Read More
Carl Jung, 20th century psycho analyst and dream researcher, said:... Read More
It doesn't matter what magazine or newspaper you pick up... Read More
You know that the Bible tells us a lot about... Read More
Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think... Read More
"If you can't dance with the devil You will never... Read More
"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my... Read More
Some may ask why in a disaster some people are... Read More
You decide! We are often asked to make decisions. Decision... Read More
"Who being in the very nature God, did not consider... Read More
Do you go to God seeking His will for your... Read More
The formula for spiritual growth is given briefly in 2... Read More
I'm at that place in life many refer to as... Read More
Inspirational author Vernon Howard wrote, "Would you be worried over... Read More
"I resolve to speak ill of no man?and proper occasions... Read More
What's the difference? How are we supposed to tell the... Read More
As communion was being passed this morning, I listened to... Read More
In looking back at my process over the years I... Read More
Granger limo Chicago ..He knew it was going to happen. He wasn't really... Read More
There's nothing new about "the new age" except the attitude... Read More
Attachment... Bondage... Moha... state as we may but the meaning... Read More
Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell recently starred in the movie... Read More
Life is growth. For many people life is like a... Read More
Ever notice how people dread discussing... Read More
The following article is an exploration of the Spring holiday... Read More
New Age Spirituality is all about getting back your power.... Read More
To many people in the Western world Metaphysical Healing is... Read More
Do you ever have one of those days when you... Read More
There was a time in my life when I seriously... Read More
The first gospel written by Matthew,who is Levi, is the... Read More
Recently it has come to my attention people are noticing... Read More
1. Gabriel means: "God is my strength" or "God is... Read More
Did you happen to see the made-for-tv movie, "Jesus," that... Read More
Have you ever felt like throwing up your arms and... Read More
I still remember the scene vividly. I was getting out... Read More
The gate of every year is the begining of that... Read More
In the year 2000, I went on a mission trip... Read More
Some of my greatest teachers have taught me that faith... Read More
Our church is infested with lobby lizards. They crawl around... Read More
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the... Read More
I was walking down the street the other day, walking... Read More
Stress & Spirituality ? How Spirituality Affects Stress LevelsTake a... Read More
If you have a longing to connect with something higher,... Read More
Spirituality |