Why Do You Get So Upset?

When your child has a “boo-boo” and says, “It hurts when I touch it”, what’s the first thing you say? Don’t touch it. And this is right. If something is upsetting you, the first thing to do is to limit its influence. If the news is making you angry, don’t watch it. If social media makes your blood boil, get off of it. Learning to stay away from certain things is wise. It is biblical. Romans 13:14 – put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 

But you can’t always stay away. Sometimes there is no way to avoid something. For the angry, and for the anxious, a “turn it off” approach is a step in the right direction. But it can’t be the whole plan. How many TVs will you have to turn off, how many websites will you have to log off, how many people will you have to put off, how many things will you have to swear off, until you realize that the issue is not outside of you, the issue is inside of you?

James 4:1 tells it like it is – What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? The reason you have a war outside of you is because of the war inside you. There is something God is wanting to do inside you, and you are resisting, and so you have a war going on in your soul. And that inner war comes spilling outside.

There is a reason that you are always just a moment away from exploding

There is a reason why you think isolation is the only answer

There's a reason why you always think something else is the problem

There's a reason why you're so easily frustrated

There’s a reason why you’re so quickly annoyed

There’s a reason people find you irritable

There's a reason why you're so often disappointed

There’s a reason why you’re so offended

There's a reason why people so often fail to meet your expectations

There's a reason why you feel slighted, unrecognized, under-appreciated, taken for granted

The reason is always related to pride

The remedy is always related to humility

Vanity, jealousy, and even insecurity is rooted in pride. Deal with that, and you’ll learn to deal with people better. 

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

The Best Way to Evangelize

The best way to evangelize at work is by being an excellent worker.

The best way to evangelize your family is by serving your family.

The best way to evangelize your spouse is by being a good spouse.

The best way to evangelize your friends is by being a faithful friend.

The best way to evangelize someone who is suffering is to suffer well yourself.

The best way to evangelize is by adorning the Gospel as a credible witness. A consistent witness. Your life speaks. And if it speaks well, people will speak to you about it. 

When you show people hope, they will open their ears. When you give them hope, they will open their hearts. 

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Feel the Love

In John 14:21, Jesus says – Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. This makes it clear that love-motivated obedience does result in greater revelations and experiences of God’s love. This is not a change in God’s love for you, but a change in your experience of God’s love for you. And this manifestation Jesus speaks of doesn’t mean visions and powers and such. It means you experience a more profound sweetness, intimacy, and intensity in your walk with God.  

I’m about to repeat two very famous sayings. They go together, and they have been said many times over many years by many people, and they are both true. The first one is this: If you are a Christian, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. Hallelujah. The second one is this: If you are a Christian, there is nothing you can do to make God love you more. Amen.

If you are a Christian, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less, and there is nothing you can do to make God love you more. These are powerful and profound truths. I need to know that God loves me just the same when I fail him. Because I often fail him. And I need to know that I cannot earn more love from God. Because I often try to earn his love. 

These are truths that all Christians need. They help you combat your fear and your pride. But I think people often take these truths and misapply them to their lives. They take these truths about God’s love for his children, and think it means that it doesn’t matter what you do. But it does. And let me tell you how.

Yes, if you are a Christian, you can’t stop God from loving you. But you can stop experiencing the love of God. God is pouring out his love on you like rain. But Christians can put up an umbrella. God will continually feed you, but you can get out of the lunch line. The father never stopped loving the Prodigal Son, but until that son came back home, he didn’t experience the blessing of being with his father. You cannot change your union with Christ. But you can have an effect on your communion with Christ. 

When you’re stubborn, defiant, rebellious and willfully resisting God, there is a price to pay. You may not think it is happening, but it is. You may just shrug it all off because you feel good and things are going well. But you are settling for a lesser experience with God. Unless your god is your comfort, that is.

Yes, following Jesus will cost you. The gift of salvation is free, but the cost of discipleship is high. If you want to move forward with God, you don’t get to walk back the other way. And it can hurt when you have to lose in order to win. But the pain of changing is far less than the price of not changing. And the results are far better.

If you want to feel the love, then show the love. Start by going to God in prayer. Take responsibility and repent of your sins. Ask God to forgive you for grieving the Holy Spirit. Give thanks because you know that Jesus wants you to have a renewed experience his love. And then, act on it all by faith. And here is how. Galatians 5:13 says – For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. You have the freedom to choose. So, the next time you feel like indulging in sin, find some way to serve someone else instead of serving your flesh. Yes, it may hurt, but it will also help. And it is the way of hope. It is walking with God. And the closer your walk, the greater your experience.   

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©