More Than You Expect

Dr. Mike Business & Faith, Life in Christ , , ,
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us… Ephesians 3:20 NASB.

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Sometimes I stop and look back at the last forty years of life and shake my head in disbelief on how I failed to trust God in the difficult circumstances of everyday living. I believed in God most of my entire life but didn’t really believe Him until the second half of living. Again, if I could have, I would have. But life is a learning experience preparing us for eternity.

If we could reset the time, there would be a few (if not many) areas of life we would change. One area would be to remove the limitations I placed on God and myself.

I knew about God’s love, but how much he loved me was an issue. I didn’t know we are one of God’s favorites. My inaccurate attitude was He constantly tested me for personal pleasure. He would allow me to be thrown into situations that would take my breath away. He would allow me to be challenged with circumstances that would cause severe financial crisis’s. I didn’t receive blessings from Him (I mistakenly believed), but pain and sorrow.

However, in hindsight, I now realize how much He cared for me by protectively allowing one of his favorite children to go through trials, circumstances, and challenges that would strengthen me and learn to trust Him. I’ve also came to realize how many limitations we place on ourselves because we limit Him.

The more we came to lean on Him, the more we trusted Him; and the more we partnered with Him, the more He revealed Himself to me. Not with his physical Presence, but through the people, events, and circumstances of life – through His Creation.

Today, I am more amazed at how He works through others to reveal His blessings. The way He brings people into your life, the way He works out circumstances to bring about events which speaks to you, and the way He gives you the strength and courage to seek out the best.

Everything is possible with Him. He knows what is best for you. Yes, you and I have limitations. However, God has no limits. He is eternal. He is omnipresent. He made a commitment with you at creation. We just have to accept His authority in our life and get out of His way.

He is always going before you. Talk with Him. Ask Him how you can best present yourself to others. Trust Him. Lean on Him. He is doing a work in you for His glory, not yours. When you surrender to His goals and objectives, you allow Him to work through you. The result is a manifestation of His greatness. Your talents which He endowed you with and your skills which you have developed are join together with His purpose and His love for you. Together you will see more abundantly what He has in mind for you. And you will come to realize He has more in store for you than you can ever think, ask, or imagine.

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

What Do You Mean by That?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms, Life Tools

Proverbs 3:13

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding…ESV.

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One of the biggest challenges you will face throughout your life is thoroughly communicating with others. Whether we are speaking with our mates, children, or fellow associates at work, the ability to understand and be understood is one skill highly desired by many in the leadership world.

Johnson O’Connor Research team has conducted studies of thousands of CEOs in this country and have shown that the number one skill most score highest in is the ability to communicate. Even in marriage, the struggle between two people unable to communicate their feelings, emotions, and position on any one topic is one of the largest complaints for divorce and separation.

One key point that we have learned over the years is to fully understand the other person before trying to explain your position. How many times do we make assumptions that later on proved incorrect? However, if we first only began to clarify the definition of certain words, wouldn’t we find ourselves more effective in speaking and writing?

Among our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord, we spend probably more time than anyplace else clarifying the meaning of certain phrases and words that are used throughout the Christian culture. For example, such words as faith, grace, incarnation, salvation, kingdom of God, Trinity, and many more are used interchangeably with a different meaning among us. Before answering or jumping to conclusion, we have found it necessary to draw word pictures or stories to clarify the definition of one word.

Now I am not an English major, nor a word smith, but I know enough that the purpose of words is to communicate a concept or thought.  So, I don’t get bent out of shape when words may be poorly used as long as we both are looking at the same overall picture meaning.

One simple tool to clarify how the speaker is using a word is to ask, “what do you mean by that?” The more both sides have a clearer picture of what is being discussed, the easier you will find a meeting of the minds.

So, like Proverbs 3:13 states, you will find yourself blessed when you get understanding and then the wisdom to apply it. It all begins when you ask, “what do you mean by that?”

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

 

 

 

Symptom or Problem?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms, Life Tools, Shaped By The WORD

Matthew 23:25

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. NASB.

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Many in the Church today focus on outward behavior rather than the matter of the heart. By heart, we mean the emotional, thinking, value-center operating system which makes you, you.

We point to Adam and Eve who committed the first earthly sin. For most people that sin was disobedience toward God. Yet, my argument is the sin was committed even before then. For the outward behavior of sin is really the result of a deeper inner problem.

The real sin was separating oneself from God. Instead of leaning on Him and partnering with Him, Eve began developing a relationship with the Serpent. It was the Serpent who came between God and Eve. He came to divide and lead one astray from the Center of Life. He does the same today.

Sin occurs even before the behavioral act is displayed. Jesus himself throughout the Gospel books emphasized the heart of the matter rather than the physical act itself. The outward act is only the symptom of an inner problem. The problem is a heart empty of God’s presence.

For it is from the Holy Spirit living within you that strengthens you, coaches you, and leads you away from destructive behavior. Jesus was born by and with the Holy Spirit from the beginning of his earthly life. For the rest of us, we allow the Spirit to enter into our inner self only after we have accepted His authority in our life. The Bible identifies this as being born again.

Jesus also refers to the Kingdom of God beginning from within you. When the Spirit is married with your spirit and you learn to cooperate together, you will find the inner attitude and confidence to handle any temptation with the same faith Jesus employed against Satan in his wilderness temptation.

You will also begin to experience life dancing with the Almighty through your daily routines. Life becomes more than judging each other’s outer performance. Instead, it becomes life in the Spirit preparing you for eternity while training you to be more effective each day glorifying Him through your work, relationships, and struggles.

So, don’t focus on the symptom. Rather identify the problem and you will quickly arrive at a solution to move you toward your objectives.

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