Well Lived Life

Dr. Mike 2021, Life Tools , ,

Luke 2:52

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

What does a well lived life look like?

Is there someone in your life who you have as a role model? Someone who has lived a long life with successes and failures; someone who if you could only emulate 50% of their attitude and behavior, you would consider your life worth living?  Someone who could share their wisdom and life experiences to assist you on the road toward your promise land?

I was fortunate to have certain elders take an interest in me while growing up. But they came into my life in stages. In hindsight, God brought people into my world when I needed them most. For my early life wasn’t conducive for any type of success. Both my parents only had 8th grade educations; immigrated into this country after World War 2; didn’t speak the language; and came into this country without family nor friends.

In my rebellious teen years, I was ashamed of my parents because they were “old-fashion” and didn’t agree with the current fads of the day. Yet, today as an adult and parent, I marvel at their accomplishments and also salute them for instilling within their children healthy values, life examples, and acts of sacrifice for others.

When I turned eleven, I wanted to purchase a paper route. Mom objected because she said I was too young. Dad on the other hand blessed the opportunity. When he was eleven, his father died and being the only boy in the family, he took over the town blacksmith shop and farmed the fifty acres of land to support the family. If he wasn’t too young at eleven, neither was his son.

When I turned sixteen, I took a job working late nights at a drive-in theater. Though the people I would associate with weren’t the best role models, I was given responsibilities by the general manager to manage one of the two food concessions. In less than one year, I was managing the entire operation supervising college students. He gave me responsibility and the opportunity to learn and grow – skills that have shaped me for future business leadership roles.

My first accounting job at twenty with a manufacturing firm brought the HR manager into my life. He was in his mid-sixties, and previously an executive VP for the entire holding company. Rather than terminate him, the Company transferred him to this small shop out of respect to finish his career. He took a liking to me and showed me the important social and corporate skills needed to succeed in today’s marketplace.

I could go on and on and speak about the mentors from Church who gave me opportunities in my twenties to grow in public speaking, leading youth groups, organizing national single events, and showing me lives well lived. These were men who had successful work careers yet placed fatherhood as their most important role. Men who were authentic, diligently involved with family affairs, yet led successful businesses. And most importantly, men who acknowledged and praised God in their everyday routine. Whether at work, at home, or in the community, their faith was displayed. They were not perfect, made mistakes, but own them and worked hard to change into the image of Jesus Christ.

All we know about Jesus Christ between the age of 12 till 30 is summarized in the above Scripture. He increased in wisdom, stature, and favor before God and man. We are not told the details. We don’t know what or who came into his life while a teenager and young adult. But we witness the fruit of his investment of time and relationships. His intentional focus on gaining wisdom, being involved in the community, and having a positive influence with his friends and neighbors, all led to the writer summarizing this period of time in Jesus’ life with the words “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

So, if you are in your teens or twenties, and want to know where to start investing your time for a life that is well lived, Jesus is always a good role model to follow.

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 2013-2021 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

The Victimhood Trap

Dr. Mike 2021, Life Tools, Traps , ,

Job 7:1

“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?

1 Timothy 4:10

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Victimhood is anti-God. The mindset blames others for their situation and wants justice and compensation for their pain. Rather than accept personal responsibility and extend Godly grace toward the other side, they would rather play the martyr and exploit the sympathy of others.

Victimhood is a disease of the soul. The seed of human potential slowly dissipates and lays dormant under the mental chains of demonic slavery. The good works the soul was designed to produce for the benefit of others will never come about. Instead of being a contributor toward the future benefit of mankind, the person becomes a burden and expensive cost for society to manage.        

Victimhood is the mental curse of hopelessness. A mindset which steals one’s future. A person without hope lives a dark, shallow life. Fear becomes their companion. The alternative though is hopefulness; the catapult toward a richer life.

Wherever you place your hope, will be tested. You will either become stronger, or your hope will disintegrate before your eyes. Many a man and woman have experienced the painful darkness of emptiness where doubt and futility reign. Where hope for any favorable solution seems impossible.  Yet as Romans 15:4 reminds us, hope is always available.  One only needs to know where to look for real, lasting HOPE.

We can tell you where not to look for hope. They are the enemy of hope. They want to control and manipulate your attitude for their benefit. They will bombard you with negative, dark images to sway you away from your potential and leave you beaten from the anguish of your situation.

These are the many politicians, advertisers, and media influencers who use tools of deception and propaganda to sway your thinking toward them. They package their product, or their solution as your hope for the future. Yet as history has repeatedly shown, the majority of their promises only leads to more hopelessness in the long run. The best solution is to tune them out and refocus your thinking on where real hope is found.

The Book of Job is an excellent story of a man who was swallowed into the pit of hopelessness. Everything rich and near to him was taken away including his health. In self-pity and self-righteous indignation, the reader travels with him and his companions as his thoughts and actions take him from despair to the restoration of real hope. Through his entire ordeal he learns real hope is only found in God.

The first encounter with victimhood in the Bible is Lucifer being thrown from heaven for rebelling against God and becoming Satan. Instead of accepting personal responsibility for his ignorance and behavior, he blames God for his situation. His hope now is not in God but in his own ability to sway the human race to fight for him against God and for the delusional utopia he dreams of producing. This evil spirit is the main culprit behind the plot to steal your hope.    

Therefore, instead of following the pathway of false hope, secure real hope by placing your trust in Jesus Christ. He is mankind’s only proven hope. 

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 2013-2021 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Grace or Enslavement

Dr. Mike 2021, grace , ,

Romans 8:15

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Both my parents were prisoners of war during World War II. They each worked in separate labor prisons in southern Germany for a good portion of the entire war. How each responded afterward throughout their life from the negative impact of such an ordeal is a lesson I carry with me every day.

They both carried scars from their ordeal. Yet Dad’s was less noticeable than Mom’s. In fact, Dad seem to take those ugly events, put it behind him, and gracefully launch himself into a productive, fulfilling life. Mom on the other hand, never seem to forget the past, continually blaming everyone whose hand she suffered under, and always considered herself a victim of circumstances.

In hindsight, their 50+ year marriage would be an ideal study of what modern day freedom and enslavement is all about. Dad and Mom were both religious, but Dad quietly practice his faith while Mom only played the part.

As Dad would always remind us, God protected him so many times during the war and throughout life, he was grateful to live in America and build a comfortable home for his family. He only had an eighth-grade education, but a strong character developed through hard work, personal responsibility, and love of God which molded him and was expressed through his skills and temperament.

Mom though never let the past die. She was a very intelligent woman and hard worker likewise with only an eighth-grade education. She could speak five languages, and cook a banquet for an army. Yet her personal demons never died. She never forgave the people who hurt her, always blaming others for her suffering, and viewed the world from a victim mentality.  

Both Dad and Mom suffered similar trials. Yet both responded in different fashions. Dad yielded himself to His God, praying twice a day on his knees in the living room early mornings and before bedtime in the evening. He didn’t understand theology but knew His God was real and with him. Mom believed God, but wouldn’t allow Him full access to change her from the inside-out. She always had to maintain control and her pride blocked anyone entrance into her heart. Like many people today who unbeknownst struggle with victim mentality, she had everything physically around her that was the good life, but inwardly fighting a war which should have been finished in 1945.

As Christ-followers, we know our heavenly Father has adopted us into His family and given us a Spirit of freedom. But we need to allow His Spirit full access into our heart and mind to change our values, perspective, and worldview. Freedom requires responsibility and strong humility. Anyone can abuse freedom, but to maintain and unify relationships requires the freedom to respect others even when we don’t agree with the other. And most importantly, when we are done wrong, the quicker we learn to forgive and move on, the more freedom grows and opportunities abound.

Being a slave to anyone or an ideology is a prison term without parole. But being an adopted child of an intimate God allows real freedom to abound. HE owns everything, knows best, and relates with everyone. He allows you and I to experience in a small way the life HE lives. HE provides resources to limit and better manage the carnal passions of our soul which boomerang into unpleasant consequences when we express them. HE knows our limitations and still loves us wanting what is best for us. As HIS adopted children, we have full access to HIM anytime we desire. We have HIS ear every time we speak with HIM. All made available through Jesus Christ who is our King.

As a servant in the house of the Lord, I am free to come and go. His grace abounds all around me. Those who try to possess me, control me, and enslave me only become more frustrated and angrier with contempt. They do not recognize nor accept the living power and grace of their heavenly Dad. If they did, they would repent, slowly watch the scales fall from their eyes and ears, and experience the life they were designed to partake. They would break the yoke of enslavement they live under and experience real freedom. The same way my earthly dad did.     

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 2013-2021 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved