Lazy Choices

David Merkel manages investment accounts and writes on financial issues on his blog.  He is a self proclaimed Evangelical Christian.  You can read about him here.  He has a great post about the middle class and five or so reasons why the middle class should shrink.  You can read his entire post here.  Numbers two and three are worth a look.

2.  Education — middle classes in the developed world were relatively large when the education systems produced a large portion of the educated people of the world.  That is no longer so, and relative education levels have tipped against the US.  Any surprise that we fall behind?

3. Lazy choices (for majors and/or jobs) — “follow your bliss” is not the best advice if no one wants to fund your bliss.  All prosperity comes through serving the needs of others.  Follow their bliss, not yours, and you will do well.

Things that make me go hmmm?  Have a good and godly

Killed It...

Girls looking for a positive influence... you may want to listen to Shamcey Supsup .  She is Miss Philippines and placed 4th in Miss Universe 2011.  I don’t know much about her because I didn’t know she existed until tonight.  Listen to the question… let me know what you think of her answer.  Have a good and godly day.

Think Differently

... 4 videos that aren't necessarily new
... 4 videos you may have seen
....4 videos you might like
... thoughts and comments are a good thing  

This video changes lives.  Even if you already agree with the message, as I do, your life will change.  If you disagree with the message, your life will change.  God is visibly working... changing hearts... changing minds as we watch.  I'm thankful it kept finding its way back into my life.  

I finally finished it last night on my 3rd try.  Before last night, I thought the whole thing seemed like a cliché... interviewing young adults on street... asking questions they are not prepared to answer.  You will need to invest 33 minutes of your time.  It starts with Hitler and the Holocaust.  Eventually a light shines on one of the most controversial issues in America.  To think differently requires effort.  Stick with it, you might know yourself and God a little better in just 33 minutes.

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Most, if not all of you, are too young to even think about being a husband or a father.  The following 17 seconds are from one of my favorite scenes.  Vito Corleone is a murderer, a criminal, and the head of a mafia family.  He's not a nice guy, but that doesn't make the words spoken any less wise.  Family matters to God therefore you matter to God.  Honor your parents.  Serve your family.  Put their interest above your own.

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I have no idea how I ended up on this video.  I watched it with my 15yr old daughter Piper.  I confess I expected something mediocre and memorable for the wrong reasons.  I was surprised, especially at the crowd's reaction.  It worked so well because Taylor Swift didn't stray from who she is.  She stayed true to herself.  She knows herself and what she does well as an artist.  She didn't add dancers, put on a hoodie, or wear a hat cocked to the side... just a guitar, a mic, and her purple dress.  That's it.  If you don't know who you are and what you want, then anything goes and you will sink in the sand.  Otherwise she could have been memorable for the wrong reasons. Two comments per Youtube:

“Taylor Swift, whether you like her or not, is undeniably among the elite artists of all time.”   AGREE.

“Thumbs up if you let out a giggle when she said 'Yo'.”  GUILTY.

 Share your opinion.  Have a good and godly day.

Quotes 4

"We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny. But what we put into it is ours."  Dag Hammarskjold

"If you rest, you rust."  Helen Hayes

"The man who does things makes mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all -- doing nothing."   Benjamin Franklin

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." Henry Ford

"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."  Margaret Thatcher

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging."  Hank Aaron

"Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."  Joseph Sugarman

"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" Vince Lombardi

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."  Christopher Reeve

"We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes."  John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

"Leadership is demonstrated at the moment of need. You learn to be a leader by acting, by doing."  Carlos Ghosn

"Perseverance is the secret of success. Procrastination is the secret of failure."  Milton Levine

"Worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere." Van Wilder

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."  Aristotle

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything."  John Wooden

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."  Mahatma Gandhi

"I thought it was impossible too before I did it."  Lance Armstrong

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."  Winston Churchill

"Man is only truly great when he acts from his passions."  Benjamin Disreali

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a good and godly Thanksgiving.

Quotes 3

"Speak little, do much."  Benjamin Franklin

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity."  Louis Pasteur

"Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance."  Samuel Johnson

"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it."  George Papa Bear Halas

"Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience."  Victoria Holt

"The price of greatness is responsibility."  Sir Winston Churchill

"Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out."  James Bryant Conant

"You don't just deal with adversity. You use it to propel you forward." Erik Weihenmayer

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."  Anne Frank

"Every failure, obstacle or hardship is an opportunity in disguise. Success in many cases is failure turned inside out."  Mary Kay Ash

"The fruits of life fall into the hands of those who climb the tree and pick them."  Earl Tupper

"What we call luck, what we call chance, is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."  Will Smith

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."  Frederick Douglass

"The future depends on what we do in the present."  Mahatma Gandhi

"Character is much easier kept than recovered."  Thomas Paine

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."  Carl Jung

"Failure is only an opportunity to begin again more intelligently."  Henry Ford

"Look at a man in the midst of doubt and danger, and you will learn in his hour of adversity what he really is."  Lucretius

"The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion."  Abraham Lincoln

"In matters of style, swim with the current; In matters of principle, stand like a rock."  Thomas Jefferson

"Worry about being better; bigger will take care of itself."  Gary Comer

 Have a good and godly day.

Quotes 2

"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."  1Timothy 4:12

"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."  Theodore Roosevelt

"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever."  Lance Armstrong

"Who wants a dream that's near-fetched?"  Howard Schultz

"Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can."  Henry Drummond

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." Mother Teresa

"To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will."  Sugar Ray Robinson

"The only thing that separates successful people from the ones who aren't is the willingness to work very, very hard."  Helen Gurley Brown

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up."  Babe Ruth

"We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears." David Sarnoff

"Chance favors only the prepared mind."  Louis Pasteur

"A problem is a chance for you to do your best."  Duke Ellington

"We tend to get what we expect."  Norman Vincent Peale

"Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway."  John Wayne

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."  Albert Einstein

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."  Anne Bradstreet

"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."  Vincent van Gogh

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"  Mary Anne Radmacher

"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." Babe Ruth

"I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live."  George Bernard Shaw

"Give of yourself. Be of service to others. Only what you give can be multiplied back into your own life." Mary Kay Ash

"Anything in life worth having is worth working for."  Andrew Carnegie

"Clear your mind of can't."  Samuel Johnson

Have a good and godly Thanksgiving.

Quotes 1

"Too many of us have a Christian vocabulary rather than a Christian experience."  Charles F. Bannin

"If a man cannot be a Christian in the place he is, he cannot be a Christian anywhere."   Henry Ward Beecher 

"The power is in the message, not the messenger.  Messengers come and go while the message remains forever."  Some guy.

"The quality of life is proportional to your commitment to GOD." Scott Patrick

“People think I am disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference.”  Luciano Pavarotti

“It is when the well is dry that we know the price of water.” Benjamin Franklin

"A life spent making mistakes is more honorable and useful than a life spent doing nothing." George Bernard Shaw

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything.” John Wooden

“You can’t live a perfect day without serving someone who will never be able to repay you.” John Wooden

"Excellence is the gradual result of always wanting to do better."  Pat Riley

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier." Mother Teresa

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Mark Twain

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King Jr.

"I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000-step process." Thomas Edison

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Failure is not the falling down, but [failure is] staying down." Mary Pickford

"It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him." John Steinbeck

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle

"Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts." Edward R. Murrow

"Discipline is not a bad thing. It's simply doing what you're supposed to do, as well as you can, when you're supposed to do it." Mike Krzyzewski

"Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt." José Ortega y Gasset

"How we spend our days is how we spend our lives."  Annie Dillard

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work." Thomas Edison

"Most people have the will to win; few have the will to prepare to win."  Bobby Knight

Have a good and godly day.

The Me Monster

"Who were they who heard and rebelled?  Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?  And with whom was He [God] angry for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert?  And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His [God’s] rest if not to those who disobeyed?  So we see they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."  Hebrews 3:16-19

 

We all know Christ through God's revelation.  And yet, we rebel, sin, and disobey.  That rebellion and disobedience weakens your faith.  That weakened faith eventually leads to self reliance.  Finally, the "I can do it myself” mentality empowers us to let our relationship with Jesus fade.  That self reliance can morph into what I call the "Me Monster."  When Jesus fades... He is no longer a strong influence in a student’s life.  The result is a life that bears no fruit from a student who receives no rest. 

The Me Monster... what is it?  It's a relationship killer.  Every relationship is dead on arrival if it's involved.  You may not be the "Me Monster", but you certainly don't want to be involved with one or hang out with one.  Me Monsters will drain you of everything you have, everything.  They will take, consume, and gobble until nothing is left.  Me Monsters will elevate themselves at your expense.  They are the epitome of "misery loves company."  They need to be affirmed... and if they don't get that affirmation... watch out.. they will try to make you feel as unworthy as they feel and possibly end the relationship.

How many people, of all ages, are hoping to find someone?  To find someone to love and to love them back.  To find someone to make them feel good… to find someone to give them hope.  To find someone to make them finally feel worthy, to be accepted “as is”... flaws and quirks included.  The Me Monster isn't looking to invest in the relationship, they are looking to get what they need and will ask and ask and ask for it.  And if it isn't there... if they don't get it... watch out... again they will try to make you feel as horrible as they feel and possibly end the relationship. 

The Me Monster is depicted in the romantic comedy movie Jerry McGuire (1996).  It starred Tom Cruise as sports agent Jerry McGuire.  The movie was a huge financial success and produced several popular quotes including “You complete me.”  For all of you that love that quote, know it communicates the wrong message.  The thing is, when we look for people and relationships to complete us, to make us feel worthy, we set those people and relationships up to fail because we are the Me Monster.

There are a plethora of movies where the main character is looking for someone who will love them.  Someone who will sweep them off their feet.  The reason we love these movies is because we essentially live vicariously through these characters.  So, we root for the underdog, vis a vis, us.  Isn’t that what Cinderella is all about?  Dear John?  Or something a little older like While You Were Sleeping?  Why is there always a love interest in super hero movies?  Or women in the middle of action flicks?  

It's the same formula that always works... the girl is deemed worthy enough, pretty enough, smart enough, or talented enough to be chosen above everyone else and saved.  They are swept away to a different life, hopefully a perfect life.  And, for the guy, the idea is to be the one that slays the dragon.  To be the one who saves the girl and provides the perfect life.  The one who is the hero.  The one who has earned her love.

The secret to finding that perfect life… to finding the best person for you… is to lead a self examined life.  Let me say this again... YOU MUST KNOW WHO YOU ARE… your goals, values, needs, morals, and so on.  Until you accomplish that, every relationship IN YOUR LIFE is doomed to fail.  Men and women, boys and girls, teachers, youth pastors, coaches, mentors, parents, and friends are not equipped to make anyone feel worthy.  

Those people can say all the right words, do all the right things, spend an absurd amount of time with you affirming your great qualities, but that "worthy" boost doesn't ever seem to last.  That is because Satan will always be around the corner, crouching, ready to pounce and destroy any worthiness, any confidence, any esteem you may have obtained.  That is what Satan does, and he's good at it. 

Eventually we all experience mean, rude people that can ruin our day with a few words.  They can be co-workers, teammates, bosses, teachers, coaches, and even your spouse… anyone can make you feel worthless if you don't know Jesus as your Savior.  You will have expectations that will not be met.  Eventually people will disappoint you.  Disappointment often feels like people don't care.  You aren't worthy to get want you want... what you need.  Disappointment doesn't feel good. 

The solution to disappointment is to know who you are.  Then you realize it's not you... it's them.  So, do you know who you are?  Do you know what you want out of life?  Do you know your purpose?  Do you even have a purpose?  To answer those questions takes a great deal of effort from you.  There are no shortcuts on this one.    

 

God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for you and me.  As intangible as that may be to you… just remember that someone died for you.  Think about that tonight… Jesus died for you.  Only Jesus can make you feel worthy.  Only Jesus can make you feel valuable.  In fact, who else has proved His love better than Jesus?  Truth is no one can complete you except Jesus.  No one fills that void except Jesus.  Jesus will remove the void instead of merely covering it... He fills it with Himself.  

The best we can get, with people, is someone to compliment us.  Look at peanut butter.  It doesn’t need anything to make it better.  It's complete as is with just peanuts.  Jelly is the same.  Jelly is jelly.  It doesn’t need anything else to make it complete.  But, put them together and they form my favorite sandwich.  It's magic when they get together.  Peanut butter isn’t trying to change jelly.  Jelly isn’t trying to change peanut butter.  They know who they are and know their purpose.  

The truth is everyone is a Me Monster.  The real danger is your Me Monster, if left unchecked, will ruin your life too.  Nothing makes your life more complete than Jesus... you and Him.  Give Him the opportunity to come through for you.  He is the only one who can defeat your Me Monster.  Give it to Him, He will not let you down.  

Have a good and godly day.

Good Men 2

"For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:16

I will start by asking the same question… Do good men really do nothing? The assumption is good men exist. Instead, the right question might be... do good men exist? If so, where are they?  If so, how do men become good? I’m not quite sure how men end up good men.  

I'll begin with all men were once boys. All men once attended junior high or middle school, and high school. What is the difference between men and good men?  Simply, all good men have made the choice even when no one is watching. Good men determine to do good acts before they are faced with that decision. That's where good men who do good separate themselves from men that do nothing.      

I believe good men become godly men when they put the interest of others above their own. Allow me to begin when I was in my mid twenties, my oldest daughter was still waiting for her first birthday, and my wife was pregnant with our second daughter.  We planned to stay with my parents a few days. After a long drive, I turned onto the driveway of my father’s property. My parents met us at the car. I got out, grabbed my daughter from the back, turned and shook my dad’s hand. I haven’t forgotten what happened next… for the first time ever, my hand was a little stronger than his. His hand was a little smaller, a little weaker than I remembered, and he was a little grayer than I remembered.    

So, how does a boy mature into a good and godly man? For boys that want to become godly men... it starts with understanding God has blessed you with testosterone. God has blessed you with size and strength. One day, God will bless you with the privilege to be the head of your home. One day, God will bless you, as a godly man with the privilege to be the spiritual leader of your home. Listen closely, your attitude toward those blessings and privileges will guide you as you mature into a young man. The time you spend with God will determine if you will honor or abuse those blessings and privileges.

Maybe the right question to ask is… do you consider your size and strength a privilege?  Will you consider your authority as a husband and father a privilege or an entitlement?  Your opinion matters because soon you will have the ability to physically dominate your home.  You will eventually be stronger than your mother.  The reality is you may possess that size and strength right now.  Will you honor or abuse your blessing from God?  And, one day you will be bigger and stronger than your father.  Again, will you honor or abuse the blessing God has bestowed upon you? 

Good boys become godly men by spending time with God.  Godliness develops when no one but God is watching.  Read the story of King David in the Old Testament.  The life of David illustrates how God teaches boys to become godly men.  God only asks you to show up ready for class with the a humble attitude and your best effort.  Class consists of reading His Word, listening to His Word, talking with Him, praying to Him, listening to what He says to you, and being around other godly men.

At one point, David delivers food to his brothers at the battlefield.  He hears the Philistine giant, Goliath challenging the Israelite army to send their own champion to fight him.  One on one.  Man to man.  “For forty days, twice a day, morning and evening, Goliath strutted in front of the Israelite army” (1Sam 17:16).  No one answered Goliath for forty days until David volunteers.

For those forty days Saul and his troops were terrified and without hope.  They were focused on Goliath… the giant that stood 9 feet tall wearing 125 lbs of armor.  Then David shows up discussing God.  He walks into his fight with Goliath quoting God.  David saw what Saul and his army didn’t see… an opportunity to serve God.  He was a lowly shepherd worthy only to deliver food to soldiers before he shocked the world.  

David shocked Saul and his army because he was obedient when only God was watching.  David spent many lonely hours standing in the field protecting the flock.  He spent some of those lonely hours drawing close to God.  David was trained by God when no one was watching.  Read King David’s story regardless if it will be your tenth time or first.  I can't think of a better story to show how time spent with God is worthy of your time and effort.  


Good men do exist.  They're all created by God.  Have a good and godly day.
       

Good Men

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." 
Edmund Burke

I have waited to comment about the Penn State football program.  If you are not aware of what has been revealed, type "Penn State scandal" in any search engine.  There have been numerous thoughts, opinions, and editorials written on the men that knowingly allowed their friend and colleague to commit crimes against children for years. The most maddening part of the whole story are sports reporters who continue to think this is a football scandal first.  And then there are those who attempt to rationalize the behavior of those who facilitated, condoned, and covered up the criminal behavior. One coach testified, under oath, he witnessed a sexual assault in progress, walked away and called his father. No call to law enforcement. No call to child protection services. No call to the district attorney’s office or even to the sheriff. That was nine, almost ten years ago.

Many news and sport personalities as well as bloggers have quoted Edmund Burke to explain what happened at Penn State. I do believe very good people, godly people, can make very poor decisions. I began to wonder if good men remain good if they do nothing. Do good men do nothing?  Do good men just stand idly by and allow evil to prosper? Is good merely defined as the absence of doing that which is wrong? 

What does God say?  God has plenty to say on this topic.  God expects His followers to actively oppose evil.  He expects us not to only do what is best for us, but do what is best for others.  God says to put the interests of others above our own... to consider others better than ourselves.  He expects His followers to do good.  To be a good man, one must do good.  He expects us to protect those who cannot protect themselves.  He expects us to help those who cannot help themselves.  The truth is, when good men do nothing, nothing good gets done.  He says so much more that a separate post is probably warranted.

Jay Bilas commented on the horrible situation, “It was a conspiracy of cowards to protect their jobs and the university.” That is the most honest explanation thus far.  Men did nothing because they did not elevate the victims' interests above their own interests. A decision was made (by someone) that their friends, their careers, and their university were more valuable than exposing a known pedophile. Some may define that as selfish ambition.     

 "For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:16

Do good men really do nothing?  If good men do nothing, do they forfeit their right to be called good men?

Have a good and godly day. 

God's a Big Boy

This is what God does... it's the difference between life w/ God and life w/out God...

Theo Fleury, a Stanley Cup champion, an Olympic gold medalist, is in the middle of a three-decades-long fight to take responsibility for his recovery and rehabilitation from child molestation.

"It is the shame and the guilt part that keeps you in that space. I was a people pleaser, always trying to please everybody, and I am not any more. The fact is, this is happening to a lot of kids and too many people are standing around doing nothing.”

On Sept. 18, 2005, the cocaine and vodka lost their ability to soothe Fleury’s pain. He cracked. He crumbled.  "I finally had a conversation with the Big Guy Upstairs and I called Him every name in the book," Fleury said. "I told Him, 'I know the whole You-only-give-me-as-much-as-I-can-handle thing. Well, I'm full. I need you to take a little.' At the end of the conversation, I prayed for Him to take away the obsession.

"When I woke up, I was walking and there was a mirror in front of me. From the time it happened [the abuse] until that second, I couldn't look people in the eye. People who have been abused will know what I am talking about. Yet I looked at that person in the mirror [myself] for a long time and I said 'it's gone.' "

Almost 35 years of emotional turmoil gone.

Almost 35 years of lying done.

Almost 35 years of hating himself evaporated.

Have a good and godly day.

Honoring Parents 2

The question still stands, how do I honor my parents who aren’t especially honorable?  Think about teachers, principals, law enforcement, or judges... they are all respected, regardless of the person.  You may not like your teacher, but you honor their title.  You may think a judge is uncaring, but you honor the position.  I want to be clear, God commands us to honor the POSITION of father and mother, not necessarily the individual person.  We are to honor the position whether they are our biological parents, step parents, or even if they are no longer in your life.  It’s not because they deserve it, we do it because God says it’s good for us.  One more time, it is good for us to do so.  

The essential part you have to perform is to honestly define the parental relationship as best you can.  Don't pretend it’s better (or worse) than it is, good or bad… it is what it is.  It's important to see your parents for who they are.  And, who they are isn’t your fault.  They struggle through days just as you struggle through days.  Their struggles and obstacles are different, but still difficult to overcome.  If your home life is abusive or neglectful, confide in someone you trust... a friend, family member, teacher, pastor, coach, etc.  Jesus refers to Himself as the Way, the Truth, the Life (John 14:6) and the Light (John 8:12).  You honor Him and your parents when you expose the truth.  You honor God when you define your reality.

Jesus says to pray for your enemies.  If you are to pray for your enemies, then you can pray for your parents.  You can serve them, love them, and bless them the best you can.  You can pray they have a good morning.  You can pray they have a great cup of coffee.  You can pray traffic isn’t too bad as they drive home.  Pray they sleep well.  Pray dinner goes perfectly.  Pray God helps you say the right words and do the right things.  If a parent is frustrated, irritated, or angry… pray God protects you and your siblings.  The point is, tell God what you feel and what’s on your mind.  He will answer. 

I am not naive enough to think your parents give you what you need.  Instead of love, you may receive cruelty.  Instead of feeling worthy, you may feel worthless.  Instead of security, you may be scared.  Know, absolutely know, those things are not of God.  God knows you need parents to love you, to teach you, to build you up, to encourage you.  He knows you need to depend on them and trust them.  If your parents treat you poorly, know this too… you deserve better.  I’ll bet you already know you deserve better, and if you aren’t sure, God says you deserve better.  One more time, you deserve better.  Trust that God knows, sees, and hears you.  Know you are not alone.  

Over the years, I have learned God can be a pretty good mother and father.  He knows what you need.  He knows you need to be loved.  He knows you need to be protected.  He knows you need to feel worthy.  God made you (read Psalm 139).  Let Him love you.  Let Him protect you.  Let Him make you feel worthy.  Let Him guide you in your life.  Seek Him and His kingdom first in all you do and He will bless you beyond what you thought was possible.

Have a good and godly day.

Honoring Parents

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”  Exodus 20:12

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother; which is the first commandment with a promise… that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  Ephesians 6:1-3

I know this commandment is easily abused by some parents.  Thus, I will start by saying it’s easy to honor loving, engaged, forgiving parents that take care of us well.  It’s easy to honor parents that invest their time and energy in us.  As well as those parents that make us feel important and smart.  Positive parents are easy to honor.  Parents that build us up are easy to honor.  Parents we trust are easy to honor and is an “easy one” to get right.  

The difficult question is what happens when parents aren’t honorable?  What does God expect of us when parents use drugs, or drink too much, or are simply never at home?  What does God expect when parents are too busy for us, or ignore us, or make us feel like we always bother them?  What happens when parents yell, scream, belittle, cuss, and generally behave badly?  What happens when parents are abusive… when parents become our enemy?  What does God expect then?  Are we still expected to honor abusive, absent, or just bad parents? 

Part one is to know know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  If you don't know Him, I urge you to think about knowing Him.  Even if only 2% of you (you as a person, a student, a human being) thinks He might be the real deal… then invest that 2% in Him.  He will not let you down.  If you think you are ready to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior… ask Jesus to come into your life in your own words.  God says if you do the following you are saved:

1. Ask to be forgiven of your sins.
2. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.
3. Believe in your heart God raised Jesus from the dead.

Part two, is to realize who receives the promise.  He [God] knows it’s hard to honor parents that treat us badly; extremely hard, if not impossible.  It’s us, the children, who are rewarded.  God has promised us a long and prosperous life when we honor our parents.  The parent receives honor and respect from us in this deal.  The blessing is we get a better family.  

Please realize, God doesn’t want anything FROM us.  He wants everything FOR us.  As an athlete trains to win, or as a student studies to excel academically, God explains His children should pray for our enemies.  Worst case scenario… our parent is our enemy.  So we are expected to pray for our parents.  That’s it.  I know it’s hard to pray for enemies.  It’s hard to pray for people who betray us.  It’s hard to pray for parents that make us feel bad.  But, we are to pray for them.

Part three is to have confidence God knows us and He grieves for us.  If we are hurt or offended… God is hurt and offended infinitely more.  Remember, we are His children.  He cares what happens to us.  He sees us.  He hears us.  He promises to answer our prayers.  He promises to protect us and come down to be with us in our time of trouble.  God will never leave us.

Pray and trust God to answer.  Have a good and godly day.