What Matters Most?

Good Morning! Hurry sickness can corrupt almost every area of our lives,...including the people we care most about. When we are so busy that it's hurry, hurry, hurry all the time, we often hurt and disappoint those we love, especially our family,...by putting our to-do lists above their needs. By neglecting to spend quality time with them,...by being so wrapped up in what we are doing that we aren't sensitive enough to what's happening in their lives. The pursuits that keep us so busy might be worthwhile, volunteering at church, helping our neighbors, or being active in a ministry. Even if our motives for getting involved in all the busyness are good, sometimes we can become so wrapped up in the doing, that we make others suffer from our hurry sickness.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.—Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

This hurry sickness, often sneaks up on us. We are scurrying along focused on all we've committed to do,...getting busier and busier. Then something is said or done in our family that shocks us into realizing that something is wrong. Without meaning to, we have allowed all these good pursuits to interfere with our relationship with God,...and with those we care about the most. It's time to ask our family how they feel. It's time to seek God's point of view,...and the guidance of His Holy spirit. It's time to get some of the hurry out of our life, and focus on what truly matters the most.

When our activities, no matter how worthwhile they seem, begin to have negative effects on our home, family and friends,...it's time to reevaluate them.

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Father God, none of us mean for this to happen, we just keep getting involved, and weighed down, with one activity after another. We wanted to do good, but we realize now that we just got so focused on what we wanted to do,...that we took my focus off You, and our family. Help us to find our way back to doing things Your way. In Jesus name, Amen.

"We live with good intentions of spending time with God, and turning our heart toward Him only to find at the end of the day that's the one thing we never got around to."

God Is A Resting Place

Good Morning! Hurrying really is a  sickness. It not only affects our relationship with God,...it also takes a toll on our physical and emotional well-being. God does not want our lives to be controlled by busyness. He wants us to rest in green pastures and walk beside quiet waters. Picture yourself moving step-by-step through a typically busy,...even frantic, day. Does your body tense just thinking about it? Does your mind shoot off in a dozen directions thinking of things you want to get done, or need to do? Believe it or not, putting ourselves through this kind of daily pressure is a choice. Yes, all of us have responsibilities that we need to fulfill,...but when we let those responsibilities take control of our lives, we lose the rest and peace that God intends for us. The rest and peace that we need for our mind, body and soul.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,—Psalm 23:2 (NIV)
Hurry sickness produces stress. A short list of the effects of stress includes digestive problems, headaches, sleeplessness, irritability, depression, obesity, and heart disease. This is not God's plan for us. During His walk on earth, Jesus recognized the need for solitude - and He taught His disciples to take time for themselves. Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. (Mark 6:31-32 NLT) Imagine yourself living out the picture in today's scripture. Lying in a green meadow, just resting. Sauntering beside a peaceful stream. No pressures. No phone ringing. No to-do lists. Each person's meadow and stream might look a little different. Sitting in a quiet spot reading a good book. Going out for a relaxed dinner. Hiking along rugged trails. Painting a picture. The list is endless. The important thing is to set time aside for yourself doing something you enjoy.

You may think you can't afford the time away from your responsibilities,...but the truth is, this time of respite will help you handle your responsibilities more efficiently,...and with much less stress..

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O' Lord, we're tired. And we are tense so much of the time,...even irritable with those we love. We know You want us to rest,...to experience Your peace. Please teach us to take time for ourselves so that we will be healthier in mind, body, and soul,...so that we may take care of our responsibilities more effectively. So that we will be more sensitive to the needs of others. So that we might live a life more pleasing and productive for You. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

"We live with good intentions of spending time with God, and turning our heart toward Him only to find at the end of the day that's the one thing we never got around to."

Linger With The Father

Good Morning!! We are to learn from Jesus. During the time He walked on earth, He had greater responsibility than any of us will ever even think about having,...and He knew His time was limited. But He never let the "doing" interfere with His time with the Father. As we see in today's scripture, He left the crowds,...even the disciples, to spend time alone with the Father. He lingered in prayer. When we think we are too busy to spend quality time with God,...praying and meditating on His Word,...we are fooling ourselves.

After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. Later that night, He was there alone,—Matthew 14:23 (NIV)

During one of Jesus' visits to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Mary lingered at the feet of Jesus while Martha worked frantically in the kitchen, trying to prepare a meal that was just right. She complained to Jesus that Mary wasn't helping her and urged Him to send Mary into the kitchen to help. Do you remember how Jesus responded? The Lord said to her; "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42 NLT) Like us, Martha was letting the details of doing everything just right control her. But, it's only when we linger with the Father that everything else in our life, can fall into place. It's only when we spend time with Him, that we can overcome our hurry sickness.

When we get so busy that we neglect our time with God,...we are too busy.

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Father God, we know we've been neglecting our quiet time with You. And we also realize now that we've neglected You,...by allowing the busy details of everyday living control to us. Our priorities have been out of order, and we've just become more and more frustrated. Lord forgive us, and help us learn to linger before You. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

"We live with good intentions of spending time with God, and turning our heart toward Him only to find at the end of the day that's the one thing we never got around to."

Too Busy

Good Morning!! One of the biggest enemies of our spiritual growth is hurry. We are so busy, so distracted, and so preoccupied that we settle for something less than the authentic Christian life. In our fast-paced culture, there is an epidemic of hurry sickness. Do you ever find yourself texting several people at once, talking to two or three at a time on the phone, and all the while Googling something on your computer? And we demand instant results. Faster Internet. Faster food. Faster results. Faster answers. We want it,...and we want it now! Hurry! The results? Constant stress. Frustration. Fatigue. Strained relationships. Mixed-up priorities. And most important,...neglect of time with God.

Be still, and know that I am God:—Psalm 46:10a (NIV)

In today's scripture, God calls us to be still (cease striving) and know that He is God. In other words, stop trying so hard to do it all. Stop trying to do it on your own. Stop struggling. Remember that He is God. We need to spend quiet time with Him. We need to remember that He is in control. He wants us to put Him first and to rest in Him. To lean on Him for help. We need to let Him guide us in balancing our lives. To focus on Him and His plan,...not our own. Only then will we be able to step off the treadmill of hurry and experience His peace.

We hurry to fit more and more in,...and now we are teaching our kids to do the same.

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Heavenly Father, we are so tired of being too busy. We have so much going on, We know we're neglecting some of the most important things. At the top of that list is our time with You. Please forgive us. Help us to get our lives and times in balance. Help us to remember to focus on You and to depend on Your strength. Please heal us of this hurry sickness. In Jesus name, Amen.

"We live with good intentions of spending time with God, and turning our heart toward Him only to find at the end of the day that's the one thing we never got around to."

Forgive, To Be Better

Good Morning!! Another great reason to forgive, is because we cannot become all that God has designed us to be, as long as we are harboring resentment and bitterness. It's vital that we not only make the choice to forgive, but to make an effort to reconcile with the people who've hurt us. In taking steps to reconciliation, let's begin with our thoughts. Asking God to help us think about the person's needs, rather than the faults. Then start speaking well of him or her,...drawing attention to strengths, rather than offenses.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.—Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

You might be in a difficult situation in which the other party is not willing to reconcile, yet. If this is the case, make sure you have forgiven in your own heart. So that you might be ready to pursue complete reconciliation,...if and when the other person is ready. It may not be safe to be physically reconciled with some people. Don't try to force it, let God work it out in His way and time. Above all, remember that Jesus loves you, and He will give you the strength and courage you need, when you need it.

There is often little comfort in being the bigger person,...but do it anyway,...it's God's will.

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O' Lord, in all our relationships, help us dwell on things to praise, not things to curse. And especially help us to do this when we think or speak about those who have offended us. May we walk in forgiveness and be open to reconciliation in Your way and Your time. Amen.

"God doesn't do what He does BECAUSE of us. God does what He does in SPITE of us."

Forgiveness Is A Chocie, We Need To Make

Good Morning!! Forgiveness requires our facing the truth,...the truth of Christ's forgiveness. The truth of our own unforgiveness. The truth, that if we are ever to be free, we must receive Christ's forgiveness,...and forgive those who have hurt us. In order to experience true freedom in Christ, we must forgive those who have caused us harm or disappointment,...even when that means forgiving ourselves. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, He freely accepts us, and sets us free from our sins. (Romans 3:23-24 CEV) How can we do any less for others?

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.—John 8:32 (NIV)

I know Sometimes it can be hard to let go. In fact, when we have been deeply hurt, it may be possible to forgive,...on our own. But it is important to remember that we don't have to do it alone.

Forgiven by the Lord, we have both the reason and responsibility to forgive others. Forgiveness is a choice we make.

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Father God, we've kept these feelings of resentment and unforgiveness buried much too long. Help us to face the truth. Thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness. Help us to show the same to others,...especially those who have hurt us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

"God doesn't do what He does BECAUSE of us. God does what He does in SPITE of us."

Time To Forgive

Good Morning!! We all experience setbacks and disappointments in life. Sometimes small ones that we shrug off, learn from and move on. But sometimes disappointments have more impact. They stay with us, causing the past to haunt our present,...and even future. The setback could be anything,...bankruptcy,...a failed marriage,...termination from a job,...a friendship gone sour. Or it might be losing a parent at a young age. Or the death of a spouse or someone else we cared for deeply. A natural tendency when we have suffered a severe disappointment is to place blame. Perhaps we hold another person responsible. Sometimes we blame ourselves. We can even go so far as to get angry with God.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

God has promised us a future and a hope, but unforgiveness can block our ability to experience all the freedom He has planned for us. As long as we are unwilling to forgive, the disappointment of the past has control over our lives, and we cannot move forward. It's time to forgive those who have hurt us. It's time to forgive ourselves. It's time to open our hearts to the love and forgiveness of our heavenly Father. And then it will be time to move on to the wonderful plans He has for us.

Don't block your blessings,...Let It Go.

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Father, help us to truly put the past behind us, as we look forward to what lies ahead. Forgive our sins. Help us to walk in forgiveness,...of others and of ourselves. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

"God doesn't do what He does BECAUSE of us. God does what He does in SPITE of us."

Control Your Anger, Control Your Life

Good Morning!! Anger is a God-given emotional energy, designed for good. It doesn't have to,...but it can often lead to sin. We can control our thoughts and actions. We can stop allowing anger to master us. The Bible teaches that we should not be quick-tempered.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,—James 1:19 (NIV)

Instead of responding out of anger, we need to slow down and think about things before we act or react. We have all blurted out hurtful angry remarks, and then wished we could take the words back. Slowing down can help us avoid those situations, and regrets.

The next time someone does or says something that you don't like—stop! Take a deep breath, and consider the best response, first.

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Father, help us look beyond what people say,...and see their hearts. Forgive us for the times we've responded to quickly, or and foolishly,...out of anger. Teach us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slower to get angry. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

"God doesn't do what He does BECAUSE of us. God does what He does in SPITE of us."