Glorify God.

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , ,

Psalm 86:12

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. ESV.

 Psalm 50:15

…and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” ESV.

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This morning I had the joy of biking for twelve miles against a warm, steady and strong, southwestern wind. With the wind behind pushing me forward, I felt like an eagle souring through the sky. However, with the wind blowing directly in front of me, it felt like climbing a 30-degree steep hill. In both directions, it made me think what life is like living with God versus against Him.

When we align ourselves with the Author of Reality, life is like the wind behind us. We find strength we didn’t know we had. We move forward toward our destination and goals with ease. With very little effort, and in many cases while resting, our objectives unfold before us.

However, when we fight against the Truth, we are constantly fighting a battle against the wind. We have to increase our energy level. Our legs, arms, and overall body hurts from the excessive work we have to put in. Even when we reach our destination, we are tired and beaten from the experience. The joy of the journey turns into a fiasco of pain.

Yes, there are days when our world is turned upside down. Yet life upside down with God is more manageable than life upside down and rebelling against Him.

Whenever we make up our mind to stop fighting the Truth and accept the reality of Jesus Christ’s work, we find ourselves on our knees with lifting arms thanking and praising Father – Son – Spirit.

When we realize He wants to share His life with us, allows us to live in His Presence, and made everything so you and I could enjoy life with Him, how can we not stop and give Him the glory He alone deserves?

When we are grateful for the life he has given us, the opportunities He provides us to grow and mature, and to live in such a time as this in history, how can we not stop and give Him the glory He alone deserves?

When we discover our natural talents and gifts which He has uniquely equipped us, and we allow Him to direct our steps toward serving others, we find fulfilment, meaning, and purpose for living. The overall result is a fruitful and quality improvement of our life which also enhances the life of those who we love and serve. How can we not stop and give Him the glory He alone deserves?

When we realize this sandbox, called Earth, was made for us to work and play in, and He has given us instructions how to make life more enjoyable for each of us, how can we not stop and give Him the glory He alone deserves?

When we realize He has written the entire script, invites us to participate with Him in playing out our role, and will reward us with more than an Emmy or lifetime achievement award in the greatest celebration the world has ever known, how can we not stop and give Him the glory He alone deserves?

Everything was made through and for Jesus Christ. And as the gospel reveals, He includes you and me with Him. He shares his throne with us, his righteousness, and his resurrection, along with everything else because He loves us and wants what is best for us. How can we not stop and give Him the glory He alone deserves?

When He becomes the center of your life, and everything flows from Him and through you and into each other, how can we not stop and give Him the glory He alone deserves?

Bottom-line: whenever, however, and wherever, always take time to stop and give Him the glory He deserves.

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

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Copyright 2013-2018 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

 

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.

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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

 

Be Fruitful

Dr. Mike Business & Faith, Kingdom Paradigms , , , ,

Genesis 1:28 – And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it… ESV.

Colossians 1:9-10 – we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God… ESV.

 

fruitful

God’s first instructions to mankind taken from Genesis 1:28 was to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…” Nothing has changed since then except humanity’s natural inclination to first try it their way.

At the very beginning of man’s timeline, our heavenly Father gave us the personal responsibility to exercise wisdom, imagination and creativity to manage His earthly domain for Him.  The Bible calls it stewardship.

Like the manager of a company given the responsibility to grow the business for the owner, we likewise have been given the assignment to improve the world around us. When we take the focus away from ourselves and on others, we find needs to be satisfied. As a steward, we analyze the resources at our disposal and best deploy them toward satisfying the needs of others. In business, we receive the reward of developing a relationship with a person who becomes our customer. Through this process, we are financially compensated that allows us to purchase the resources we need to do it again and again. As we keep repeating the process, our client base grows, our resources under management grows, and the more people we can serve.

The challenge for most of us is locating that sweet spot where our natural gifts and talents intersect the needs of others and is fueled by our passion. Some of us may not recognize what our strengths are; others have placed mental or emotional limits on themselves; and then others are so wrapped up in themselves that they are blind to the need of others.

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians mentioned his prayer for them was that God may supply the strength and internal fortitude to walk with our Lord and be fruitful in their work. Maybe some of us (if not all) need to invest more time praying for the same resources. Maybe we are not as fruitful as we can be because we are trying to accomplish our dreams apart from God. Maybe instead of striving for more, working longer hours, and chasing after dollars, we ask Him to show us how to rest in Him and learn from Him how to be more fruitful. Most of us will become pleasantly surprised how He has a way to open doors, bring people into your world, and generate opportunities beyond our wildest imagination.

God wants you to be fruitful in your work. But more than this, He also wants you to be fruitful in His relationship with you. Make Him the center of your life and then watch how He showers you with His fruitful Grace and Presence in your corner of the galaxy. For wherever He goes, the world around Him grows more fruitful.

This is the reason Jesus stated in John 15:5 that you will bear much fruit as long as you remain in Him.

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