meaning

What Is Truly Important?

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , , ,

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

How does one best maximize leverage of time and resources to live a full and enriching life?

When one understands the wisdom of building your life on the foundation of eternal values, you have an advantage over most people. Many of us awake one day to realize our efforts over the last umpteen years hasn’t given us the results we anticipated. We have climb the worldly ladder of success only to find the view disappointingly unappealing on the wrong wall.  So, we move the ladder to another wall and climb again. Only to find over the years the same unfulfilled result.

Shocking to most, the issue is not which wall we climb, but the ladder we use for the climb. When you consider each step of the ladder as values, the ladder with eternal values will lead to a more abundant life than a ladder with humanistic ideals.

Most of us start climbing with ladders built by sincere people with great intentions but without a clue of the types of ladders available for our use. If a stool is all you need to reach the top of the shelf, than use a stool. But if you have to climb multiple floors, than a stronger, well-built proven ladder is required. The same is true when leveraging life’s goals.

Jesus provides us with critical values which when employed allows one to climb the walls placed before us with the certainty of the end result. The ladder HE provides is one built for eternal purposes because for HIM this life is only a learning process preparing one for leadership and service in HIS Kingdom.

When one places her foot on each step of HIS ladder, each movement has the assurance and confidence of when reaching the top, the view will be better than anticipated. No matter how strong the wind blows, or when the ground shakes, we simply look at the foot of the ladder and see Jesus holding the ladder in place rooting us upward toward HIS view and purpose of life.

If you need a review what Jesus values, reread the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew’s gospel chapter six. The prayer identifies the hierarchy of values from God and HIS kingdom to personal needs and human relations. Each value is the foundational step you and I need to live a full and enriching life today while being prepared for eternity tomorrow.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager, Faith-Integrator, Scribbler

Available for Your Devotional Study: 

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Why Read the Bible?

Dr. Mike 2023, Scriptures , , , , , , ,

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

There are multiple reasons to read the Bible. Though one of the first options you may want to choose is simply to transform your thinking to better understand the mind of God.

My recommendation for those who have not read the Bible and do not know where to start, is to begin with one section – the Book of Ecclesiastes. (I accidentally did over fifty years ago which began a life journey searching for God, Purpose, and Truth). Many scholars believe Ecclesiastes was written approximately three thousand years ago to a worldwide audience responding to life’s more metaphysical questions which are still pertinent today – the pursuit of happiness and meaning.

Afterwards, then begin a plan to read the Bible from the first page in Genesis through the last page in Revelation with only the theme of discovering the mind and character of God. You can skim through many of the details this way and focus on the parts which reveals God’s interaction with humanity and how specific people walked with God. These sections will give you greater insight in who God is and how he relates similarly and differently with people in various circumstances.

Such an exercise will open your mind to better understand who you are choosing to follow in a relational, covenantal agreement. Don’t you want to know everything you can about a person you want to spend the rest of your life within marriage? The same is true with our relationship with the Living God.

On the other hand, if you have a certain topic on your mind, you may want to use an online concordance to search all the Scriptures pertaining to your subject. This is the way I initially started to study the Bible. In fact, the first topic I ever chose to search was money. Since I was going into the business arena and enjoyed making money, I wanted to know everything the Bible discussed on the topic. Years later, I am still learning and still find enjoyment to discover new aspects about money, which was always in the Bible, but now viewed from a more holistic perspective.

You probably have subjects which currently are at the top of your mind. Why not search the pages of the Bible and discover what 1,500 years of collective writings by forty authors assembled together with the same Spirit reveals about human nature, God’s divine nature, and solutions which have proven successful over time?

The pages within the Bible reveal the mind and heart of God in comparison with the heart and mind of humanity. Over time you will acquire knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of how people may best apply themselves to live an enrich and fulfilling life now and hope for the future. You learn how God designed the world with purpose, mapped out for us how best to succeed, and provide the means and resources to live a free, flourishing, and fulfilling life when done according to HIS way.

Yes, it requires relearning the falsehoods taught by this world’s culture, and accepting personal responsibility for one’s choices, but as one learns God’s good Will and lives by HIS way, one moves into a new created order reserved for HIS children who want to experience life the way HE created you and I to live from the beginning of time.

Read the Book. You will be astonished by the insight you gain about yourself, others, and God.   

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager, Faith-Integrator, Scribbler

Available for Your Devotional Study: 

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Your Purpose and Mission

Dr. Mike 2021, Life Tools, Your Identity , ,

Proverbs 16:4

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 20:5

The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

ESV

God is Purposeful. Everything he does has a focused reason and mission. He doesn’t waste anything. Even when HE rests, there is a purpose behind HIS actions (Gen 2:2-3).

You and I, like little gods, have been designed with an internal drive for purposeful living. Without purpose, one never truly discovers meaning for life.

Since God is the Author of life, HE has already established meaning and purpose for life. When we understand HIS macro plan and understand our role within HIS story, the doors to live out our micro plan become more meaningful and exciting. Many of us try to discover our purpose apart from God. The situation is like being the letter “c”.

The letter “c” is the third letter in the English alphabet. Alone, apart from the alphabet, it stands by itself until someone assigns meaning for it. But when belonging with the other 25 letters of the alphabet, one is given the means to communicate with others. The letter “c”, uniquely designed, then becomes a partner of others to help communicate ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc. And depending on who their partnering with, the sound may be slightly different. For example, the “c” in cat generates a different sound then the “c” in church. Yet it is the same letter, but changes their sound when associated with others.

People are the same. We are uniquely designed and our natural abilities and purpose for living become known by the people we associate with. Just like the letter “c” has certain characteristics, you and I have certain natural abilities and personality which make us individuals. Alone, we have very little to offer. However, when we join others, we discover our purpose and derive meaning for living.

Though this is a simply analogy, I hope to demonstrate that when we partake with the Triune God on HIS mission to raise a universal family, train them in HIS family business, and make HIM known to others, opens the door to living a more meaningful life now.

And while we learn to walk with HIM now, we also learn to serve others. As we learn to serve others, we discover our unique design and natural abilities. Over time, we begin to purposely focus our uniqueness with the opportunities which come our way and when we view life from the rear-view mirror, we then will spot the invisible hand leading us through all the stuff that makes up life until we arrive where we are today.

Yet while we stagger along, hesitant yet faithful, testing and failing, celebrating the smallest of victories and gracefully learning from our poor decisions, we become more secure in our walk with the Lord’s macro mission while HE strengthens us and lives HIS life in us while we also pursue our micro mission on earth today.

As I have mentioned many times, life is a ballroom dance with the Almighty. As HE works on HIS macro-objectives, we follow; As we work on our micro-objectives, HE walks with us teaching us along the way. Just like the letter “c”.

When your purpose is centered around HIM, then you learn the joy in serving others, and your purpose and meaning for life will follow.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & 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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