I got this idea from a good friend of mine and a blog that he posted earlier. I would like to do an experiment. I find that we like to focus in our lives on what we don't have, wish we did have, or feel we should have; instead of what we do have in our lives. I'm sure you've probably some time during your life had a "list" of things you wanted to do before you died. If you were to walk into the Dr's this morning for test and he was to come back into the waiting room and tell you that you only had 24 more hours to live. Would you look at all the things in your life you didn't get to do? Would there be regrets from that incomplete list? -- there are several places I could go with this on living with regrets.
However, I would like to take a different look at this situation. Instead of focusing on what you "wouldn't get to do;" let's focus on what you did get to do. Take some time, think about it, and make a list of all the things you have experienced in life so far. And for those of you who have a first reaction -- like I did -- that you have not accomplished anything in your life, I'm here to tell you, that's a total lie!!!! You have done things in your life that no one else in this list has done. You have experienced things in your life that you probably have not thought about in a long time. I can assure you, you have had accomplishments in your life. For some, it may be having children, some it may be traveling, some it may be works of art, some it may be experiencing the sunrise on the beach, some it may be meeting famous people, some it may be sitting in your grandmother's lap while she read you stories... there are so many things you have done in your life already.
Go ahead, using the comments section, and list out the things you have already accomplished/experienced in your life already. Be encouraged that you already have already been blessed by God in numerous experiences that have touched yours and others lives. I am sure as you do this, it will bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart! John 10:10 states that He has come to give us an abundant life. (para)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Hidden Secret of a Happy Life
Charles Swindoll in this lesson of his book Laugh Again.., takes a closer look at cultivating the right attitude. It is absolutely true that our attitude toward the world around us affects how we treat others and reflects what we are ourselves. Swindoll stated "The dictionary on my desk defines attitude as 'a manner of acting, feeling, or thinking that shows one's disposition . . . opinion, mental set.' That means that how we think determines how we respond to others. As a matter of fact, I have found that my view of others is a direct reflection of my own 'mental set.'
Our attitude toward the world around us depends upon what we are ourselves. If we are selfish, we will be suspicious of others. If we are of a generous nature, we will be likely to be more trustful. If we are quiet honest with ourselves, we won't always be anticipating deceit in others. If we are inclined to be fair, we won't feel that we are being cheated. In a sense, looking at the people around you is like looking in a mirror. You see a reflection of yourself."
OUCH! So there really could be something to the old saying that we dislike some things in others that reflect what we see in ourselves. Maybe that person you don't get along with so well is exhibiting characteristics or behaviors we have in ourselves that we don't like. Something to ponder on.
Then the question arises: How do I develop the correct attitude? Well, first of all, we need an example to follow. As with everything else in life, what greater example could we have than Jesus Christ. Look at everything He faced and how He was treated. Watch what his response was toward others. While doing this, keep in mind that Jesus experienced every emotion we experience. In the face of dilemmas He went through, how could he not just smack some people in the head? How could He keep His cool under fire? How could he demonstrate such grace and compassion. "What was it that gave him the edge we so often lack? It was His attitude. To return to Webster's words, He acted and felt as He did because of His 'disposition,' His 'mental set.'"
Question: What is the most Christlike attitude on earth? While answers like love, patience, and grace come to mind, they are not the ones that Jesus Himself referred to when He described Himself in scripture. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." In the above scripture, Jesus used the words "gentle and humble in heart." We might use the word unselfish today. Jesus was able to have the correct attitude, because He, Himself, was the last person he ever thought about.
Lets look a little closer at unselfishness. To be "humble in heart" is to be submissive to the core. It involves being more concerned about others and their needs than in your own. If you are truly unselfish, you will be generous with your time and possessions, energy and money. As you operate in this attitude of unselfishness, it will exhibit itself in your life as thoughtfulness and gentleness, an unpretentious spirit, and a servant-hearted leadership.
Today we are surrounded by peers who would tell us to grab all the gusto we can. After all, we only go around once in this life. Sound familiar? Ours is a day filled with self-promotion, taking care of ourselves first, winning by intimidation, pushing for first place, and many, many more self-serving agendas. The concept of unselfishness is a joke to the majority today.
Well, how do we pull it off? How do we change our attitude to be more "Christlike"? Paul tells us the secret in his letter to the Philippians. "If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. (Philippians 2:1-4). We can see that it is "others" that is own his mind. Paul admonishes us to not allow a selfish attitude to sneak in and steal your joy.
We should always put others before ourselves. When we do that, we find that the focus comes off of "I" and is placed on others. This is a sure cure for what I call the "I" problem. It is when we become servants to others and develop our servants heart, that we find true joy coming back into our lives. This also will place us back in harmony and unity with one another.
Now, does having unity or harmony suggest we have to agree on everything? I agreeing on everything what harmony is all about? Absolutely not. Unity and Uniformity are two different things. "Uniformity is gained by pressure from without." This forces us to all look the same on the outside. However, "Unity comes from deep within. It is the inner desire to conduct oneself in a cooperative manner . . . to be on the same team, to go for the same objective, for the benefit of one another." Harmony promotes happiness. If you disagree, then you've obviously never been in a meeting or a family where there is no harmony; where every is out for their own agenda. There is total discord and bickering as everyone tries to make their own point.
So now we know we need an unselfish attitude, how do we accomplish it? Paul gave us the answer in Philippians 2:3-4 when he wrote, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. From this scripture, we gain three steps to cultivate an unselfish attitude. "First, never let selfishness or conceit be your motive. That's right, never. Second, always regard others as more important than yourself. Though this is not a natural trait, it can become a habit – and what an important one. Third, don't limit your attention to your own personal interest – include others… The goal is that we become so interested in others in helping them reach their highest good that we become self-forgetful in the process."
All being said, we again have the perfect example. Jesus Christ. He came down from heaven, leaving everything behind, and came to serve you personally. Paul knew this when he stated in Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus gave up everything, knowing he would become man and die. But, he did it because he placed you above Himself. He accepted everything that He would have to endure just so you would be given the opportunity to be saved. Swindoll list the following steps down from the above scripture that Jesus took to come to us.
1. He emptied Himself.
2. He took the form of a servant
3. He was made in the likeness of humanity
4. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient unto death.
5. He accepted the most painful and humiliating way to die – crucifixion.
Did Jesus do all this will grumbling and complaining? Of course not. How do we know how He did it? Hebrews 12:2 tells us, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus , the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." He saw those of us who would benefit from His sacrifice as "the joy set before Him." That brings us back to the theme of this study – JOY.
In this lesson, Swindoll emphasizes the importance of the attitude that releases joy and reveals to us the hidden secret of a happy life on earth – an attitude of unselfishness. Remember God will honor your decision to demonstrate the same attitude. Feelings of hate will be replaced with a relieving flood of peace and happiness. As Solomon has written "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov. 16:7) "When we acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord and begin to release our cares, our disappointments, and our heartaches to Him, we not only keep our equilibrium, we also keep our sense of humor. Joys multiply when we have Someone to bear our burdens… joy can endure hardship as long as that Christlike attitude of unselfishness is in place."
Our attitude toward the world around us depends upon what we are ourselves. If we are selfish, we will be suspicious of others. If we are of a generous nature, we will be likely to be more trustful. If we are quiet honest with ourselves, we won't always be anticipating deceit in others. If we are inclined to be fair, we won't feel that we are being cheated. In a sense, looking at the people around you is like looking in a mirror. You see a reflection of yourself."
OUCH! So there really could be something to the old saying that we dislike some things in others that reflect what we see in ourselves. Maybe that person you don't get along with so well is exhibiting characteristics or behaviors we have in ourselves that we don't like. Something to ponder on.
Then the question arises: How do I develop the correct attitude? Well, first of all, we need an example to follow. As with everything else in life, what greater example could we have than Jesus Christ. Look at everything He faced and how He was treated. Watch what his response was toward others. While doing this, keep in mind that Jesus experienced every emotion we experience. In the face of dilemmas He went through, how could he not just smack some people in the head? How could He keep His cool under fire? How could he demonstrate such grace and compassion. "What was it that gave him the edge we so often lack? It was His attitude. To return to Webster's words, He acted and felt as He did because of His 'disposition,' His 'mental set.'"
Question: What is the most Christlike attitude on earth? While answers like love, patience, and grace come to mind, they are not the ones that Jesus Himself referred to when He described Himself in scripture. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." In the above scripture, Jesus used the words "gentle and humble in heart." We might use the word unselfish today. Jesus was able to have the correct attitude, because He, Himself, was the last person he ever thought about.
Lets look a little closer at unselfishness. To be "humble in heart" is to be submissive to the core. It involves being more concerned about others and their needs than in your own. If you are truly unselfish, you will be generous with your time and possessions, energy and money. As you operate in this attitude of unselfishness, it will exhibit itself in your life as thoughtfulness and gentleness, an unpretentious spirit, and a servant-hearted leadership.
Today we are surrounded by peers who would tell us to grab all the gusto we can. After all, we only go around once in this life. Sound familiar? Ours is a day filled with self-promotion, taking care of ourselves first, winning by intimidation, pushing for first place, and many, many more self-serving agendas. The concept of unselfishness is a joke to the majority today.
Well, how do we pull it off? How do we change our attitude to be more "Christlike"? Paul tells us the secret in his letter to the Philippians. "If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. (Philippians 2:1-4). We can see that it is "others" that is own his mind. Paul admonishes us to not allow a selfish attitude to sneak in and steal your joy.
We should always put others before ourselves. When we do that, we find that the focus comes off of "I" and is placed on others. This is a sure cure for what I call the "I" problem. It is when we become servants to others and develop our servants heart, that we find true joy coming back into our lives. This also will place us back in harmony and unity with one another.
Now, does having unity or harmony suggest we have to agree on everything? I agreeing on everything what harmony is all about? Absolutely not. Unity and Uniformity are two different things. "Uniformity is gained by pressure from without." This forces us to all look the same on the outside. However, "Unity comes from deep within. It is the inner desire to conduct oneself in a cooperative manner . . . to be on the same team, to go for the same objective, for the benefit of one another." Harmony promotes happiness. If you disagree, then you've obviously never been in a meeting or a family where there is no harmony; where every is out for their own agenda. There is total discord and bickering as everyone tries to make their own point.
So now we know we need an unselfish attitude, how do we accomplish it? Paul gave us the answer in Philippians 2:3-4 when he wrote, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. From this scripture, we gain three steps to cultivate an unselfish attitude. "First, never let selfishness or conceit be your motive. That's right, never. Second, always regard others as more important than yourself. Though this is not a natural trait, it can become a habit – and what an important one. Third, don't limit your attention to your own personal interest – include others… The goal is that we become so interested in others in helping them reach their highest good that we become self-forgetful in the process."
All being said, we again have the perfect example. Jesus Christ. He came down from heaven, leaving everything behind, and came to serve you personally. Paul knew this when he stated in Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus gave up everything, knowing he would become man and die. But, he did it because he placed you above Himself. He accepted everything that He would have to endure just so you would be given the opportunity to be saved. Swindoll list the following steps down from the above scripture that Jesus took to come to us.
1. He emptied Himself.
2. He took the form of a servant
3. He was made in the likeness of humanity
4. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient unto death.
5. He accepted the most painful and humiliating way to die – crucifixion.
Did Jesus do all this will grumbling and complaining? Of course not. How do we know how He did it? Hebrews 12:2 tells us, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus , the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." He saw those of us who would benefit from His sacrifice as "the joy set before Him." That brings us back to the theme of this study – JOY.
In this lesson, Swindoll emphasizes the importance of the attitude that releases joy and reveals to us the hidden secret of a happy life on earth – an attitude of unselfishness. Remember God will honor your decision to demonstrate the same attitude. Feelings of hate will be replaced with a relieving flood of peace and happiness. As Solomon has written "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov. 16:7) "When we acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord and begin to release our cares, our disappointments, and our heartaches to Him, we not only keep our equilibrium, we also keep our sense of humor. Joys multiply when we have Someone to bear our burdens… joy can endure hardship as long as that Christlike attitude of unselfishness is in place."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)