Life Tools

Live Well

Dr. Mike Life Tools , ,

Colossians 1:10

…so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…ESV.

live well1

 

When life is measured by one’s possessions, status, bank account, or influence, one has been swallowed up by the demon of pride – mankind’s #1 vice. The focus is on self rather than God which leads to missing out on His best. However, when our Heavenly Father is the center of life, one experiences the soulful riches of kingdom treasures along with the physical comforts of creation – the best of both worlds.

So, if you want to live well, to the fullest of your potential, with meaning and purpose, you need to know God better than you know yourself.  For the fact is:

You live well when you partner with God while you travel through time and space discovering who you are, unleashing your God-given talents, and fulfilling your divine purpose.

You live well when you take the cards you have been dealt with and play to win without excuses, self-pity, or shifting blame toward others.

You live well when character becomes more important than gold, attitude more valuable than muscle and love more fulfilling than intelligence.

You live well when wisdom replaces stupidity, grace supersedes tolerance, and godliness displaces humanism.

You live well when work is your ministry, family your sanctuary, and your neighbors the doorway to experience God’s love.

You live well when your word is your commitment, your integrity is your suit or dress for the day, and your primary concern is for the welfare of others.

You live well when you accept the season of your life, grateful for your state of health (no matter how broken you are) and walk in hope even though you are unsure of the future.

You live well by being generous with your time and money, speak softly with those who disrespect you, and are slow to anger by those who want to harm you.

You live well when you do good wherever you are, you are fruitful in whatever your hand finds to do, and you gladly glorify God who made you and allowed you to live in such a time as this.

You truly live well when you have totally surrendered to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and make His Kingdom your #1 daily priority each day.

You live well when you are true to yourself, transparent in your relationships, and add value without fanfare with others.

You live well when you serve along Jesus Christ who holds you in His Grip since redeeming you before you even knew him.

You live well when you learn to quickly forgive yourself, extend the same forgiveness toward others, and trust God to remedy the situation.

You live well by learning more about the Author of Life, His Story which unfolds each day, and your part within His Plans.

In other words, living life to the fullest, rooted in Jesus Christ, is to live well.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

*  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
*  Great Business Emulates a Good God
*  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
*  Simply The Messenger
*  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2018 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

 

Non-Fatal Failure

Dr. Mike Business & Faith, Life Tools

Isaiah 41:13

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” ESV.

In business over the years, we have seen how fear of failure has dismantled the career path of many executives and managers. If you haven’t come to the point yet where the decision you need to make is so overwhelming, than you haven’t faced your worst enemy yet. Whether the decision to sell your business to a competitor, fire a key employee, or take on more debt for the sake of unknown growth, many leaders have struggled and anguished through the process.

At the same time, I am always amazed at how certain business-minded entrepreneurs step back, view the same unknown horizon, and make the prudent decision without hesitation. The main difference we have seen with believers and unbelievers is the refreshing faith and trust that whatever happens is non-fatal in the long term.

Yes, one may economically dissipate everything that took years to acquire and build; and when one associates success with self-worth, the burden can be overwhelming. Yet let the truth be told though, these men and women have learned whether the venture is successful or not will not diminish one’s value as a person. In other words, failure is non-fatal.

When one reaches the point in life where their relationship with the living God is the most important thing and everything else takes a second position, then the outcome of what lies ahead doesn’t really matter in the long term. One can easily walk away from everything and know that with God’s help everything can be restored.

The difficult challenge is not the acquisition of the physical toys and building blocks that surround us but the fortitude of character built from inside your soul and expressed through the world around you. The pain for most believers typically is “not the what is in it for me battle” but concern for the weaker minds and hands of those who are dependent on you for their livelihood. Most people who surround you are probably more focused on what you can give them rather than trusting the living God to provide everything for all of us.

Failure most often is the starting point toward learning who God is and how you can join Him in His work for mankind. Failure is painful when you place your trust in the outcome to solve all your problems. Failure is also a problem when you accept your god as the solution rather than the obstacle to overcome.  But with the Triune God, failure is never fatal. Only the starting point of discovering who you truly are in Christ.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

*  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
*  Great Business Emulates a Good God
*  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
*  Simply The Messenger
*  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2018 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Time & Chance

Dr. Mike Life Tools

Ecclesiastes 9:11

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. ESV.

Sorry to disappoint you if you haven’t yet discovered the fact that you are not in total control of your life. Yes you can control your response to life, but you cannot always control the outcome. Many have tried and not one has succeeded from beginning to end.

You did not choose the time and place nor parents of your birth. You most likely will not choose how and when you will exit this world. You may think suicide is your ability to control the outcome of when and where, but again not all who attempt succeed. Other people do have a say of what you do.

Professional sports is a good example. We look at the stats and determine who is the better team. Yet great teams have bad days and mediocre teams over-achieve. This is why we play the game. Everyday life is the same.

You may have a plan for life, but is everyone on board with it? Will the government cooperate and make it easy for you? Will the piano being thrown out of the 10th floor skyscraper window unbeknownst to you find its mark on top of your head? Will lightning strike the dry underbrush of your backyard preserve and burn 10,000 acres around you before being extinguished? Will the speeding car driven by an unknown drunk driver fail to stop at the intersection and meet you in your blind spot even though you are an excellent defensive driver?

Things happen in life that are unpredictable. You and I cannot control every event. Your odds of being struck by lightning are better than the odds of winning the Power Ball lottery. Yet will either ever occur in your lifetime? Yes it could happen. But is it something you can plan and control to happen?

The earlier you learn what you can control and what you cannot will make your life more enjoyable in the process. Yes you need to plan but also have alternative routes when events don’t work out as you anticipated. Yes you need to control your response to a situation. That is what maturity is all about. And yes you can choose which relationships you will nourish and which ones you will extend more grace toward. But more importantly, you could choose to follow the Rabbi’s Rabbi – Jesus Christ. He wants to share his life with you as you share yourself with him. It definitely makes the journey more adventurous, more enjoyable, and more favorable while we deal with the circumstances and unpredictable events life throws our way.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

*  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
*  Great Business Emulates a Good God
*  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
*  Simply The Messenger
*  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2018 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved