Christian Life

Just Another Day?

DrJayCook Christian Life, Direction , , ,

Does the following sound familiar?

You get up on Monday and do what you have to do to make it through the day.  You do the same thing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Saturday and Sunday might offer you a small break, but you know Monday is coming.

When I look at most people, their lives resemble the pattern above.  Life is dull, boring, and often dreadful.

Oscar Wilde was correct when he stated, “To live is the rarest thing in the world.  Most people exist, that is all.”

Do you really believe that existing is all that life has to offer?  Is life nothing more than a routine?

Though it often seems like most people are aimlessly wandering through life, that does not have to be true for you.  If you are a Christian, you can know and live out a purpose that is much bigger than just existing.  You see, Proverbs 16:4 states: “The LORD has prepared everything for his purpose.”

That includes you and me.  But whether we discover that purpose and live it out is the choice of each of us.

From my studies and experience, I would like to offer some suggestions.

First, pray.  Begin asking God to show you what your life could be.  Ask Him to help you be spiritually prepared to follow His leadership.  And keep praying.

Second, consider your strengths.  There are things that God has enabled you to do (both natural and learned things).  God does not give us abilities for no reason.

Third, consider what gets you excited.  We are all different, and God gives us passions that are suited for each person.

Fourth, get the input of some godly friends.  They know you and they know the Lord.  They might be able to tell you things that you cannot see.

Fifth, begin with small steps.  When you have an idea of what God wants of and for you, begin doing it.  Start small.  Build your knowledge and skills in that area.  Take larger steps bit by bit.

Sixth, help others.  You are surrounded by many others who do not know what to do.  Help them discover the life that they should be living.

And remember that Jesus said, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)

You may want to check out one of the most-read books on this. Click the picture to find out more…

Bless Her Heart

DrJayCook Christian Life, Gossip, Kindness , , , , , ,

“Bless her heart!”

Have you heard that said?  Have you ever said it?

We Southerners have tried to turn gossip into an art form.  We say what we want and then pretend like we really care about the person or situation.

BUT – how do you like it when others gossip about you?  What does it say about the gossiper?  How do you think others feel when you gossip about them?  What does it say about you when you gossip?

I had a lady once tell me that she doesn’t gossip; she talks about things that matter to her.  She did not realize that she was considered a major gossiper, though.

It used to be that when someone talked about other people, it was face-to-face.  Today, we do it through texts and social media as much if not more than we used to do it.  It has become far more common, which means it hurts far more than it did.  It is not ok.

Proverbs 11:13 states, “A gossip goes around revealing a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.”  Proverbs 20:19 states, “The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth.”  Proverbs 26:20 states, “Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.”

A good rule of thumb is to consider that if we talk about something to a person who is not part of the problem or part of the solution, we are probably gossiping.  And if you are a Christian, gossip is not ok.  If you are not a Christian, gossip also is not ok.

So what should we do?

Well, do not do it.  That is simple enough to understand (though we may find it hard to control the tongue).

Also, do not listen.  Either leave the conversation or the room.  Make it clear that you want nothing to do with it.

Also, stop the conversation right there.  As someone begins to “share,” stop them and ask them to go with you to the target of the gossip to let them know what is being said by “others.”

Gossip destroys – plain and simple.  It destroys relationships.  It destroys businesses.  It destroys churches.  It can even destroy someone’s life.

I want to encourage you to help me break the pattern.  Instead of camouflaging our gossip with a “bless her heart,” let us be the ones who actually do bless others’ hearts.

If you want to get more ideas, click the picture below for a suggested resource…

Kindness Could Make a Comeback

DrJayCook Christian Life, Culture, Kindness , , ,

What is going on in our world?

People can be mean.  Many people are mean.

Every year as election time nears, the level of unkindness seems to get higher and higher.  It is not because of one political party.  It comes from all sides, and it is ugly.  It is not right.

However, it is not just found in the political scene.  It is everywhere – sporting events, classrooms, offices, playgrounds, churches, stores, homes, roadways…  Too many people do not consider kindness to be important.

Perhaps our busyness causes us to ignore opportunities to be kind.  Perhaps technology leads us to rely on impersonal interactions.  Perhaps greed and self-centeredness cause us to focus on what we want above all else.  Perhaps we raise our children in a different way.  Whatever the cause or causes, kindness is a lost art, but it is an art that desperately needs to be readapted.

In Galatians 6:9 we read: “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”

For many of us, we do not have to worry about getting tired of doing good.  We are satisfied with doing whatever we want to do and then complain because life is harsh.

For those who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, kindness is not an option.  It is part of the Fruit of the Spirit – which means that if the Spirit dwells in you, so should/must kindness.

We must remember what we are told in Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.  And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”

The first part of that passage sounds descriptive of our society (bitterness, anger, wrath, shouting, slander, and malice), does it not?  Yet that is what we must remove, get rid of, and refuse to allow.

The second part of that passage sounds descriptive of those who make a positive impact on lives and leave positive memories (kind, compassionate, and forgive), does it not?  Every one of us wants others to treat us in that way.  But do we treat others in that way?

Kindness is not an option.

If I dream hard enough, I can envision a world where we are kind – treating each other the way we want to be treated – living in a way that honors the God who saves us.

I vote for turning that dream into reality.

The following resource prompted MANY people to look at kindness in a different light – one that touched others powerfully. Click the picture to find out more…

Are You Ready for Some Football?

DrJayCook Christian Life , , , , ,

Ready or not, it is time.  Get the school colors out, and dust off the stadium seats.  Oh, and apparently stock up on water bottles.  Man, it is hot!

Football is obviously loved, supported, and debated in the South.  And what I find interesting is that we can learn a lot from the game.

Consider Coach Vince Lombardi – way back when he coached the Green Bay Packers.  In 1961 they lost the big game even though they had been ahead.  When they got back together to prepare for the season, those professional football players were ready to pick up where they had left off.  But Lombardi stood up, held up a football, and put them in their place by saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

He understood that the only way to be prepared was to get back to the basics.  They had to keep the main thing as the main thing.  Skills, teamwork, and strength are important, but they will come with time; and they are useless without focus.

And that is true in life, is it not?

No one makes it to Sports Center without a long road that got them there.  The fundamentals have to be practiced, honed, and never abandoned.  The basics must be ingrained, and then success comes.

Jesus made our fundamentals clear.  There is an internal focus and an external focus that we must master in life.

Internally, Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”  Externally, He told us in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the So and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Have you mastered those things?  Are you daily working on them?

Seek God’s kingdom above all else.  Seek to live like He wants you to.  That is what we have to do if we want God to bless our lives.

Make disciples everywhere you go.  Help others know Jesus and grow in Him.  That is what we have to do with everyone we can. There are plenty of other things we can do (and often should do), but nothing matters as much as doing what God wants us to do.  Nothing should keep us from doing what God wants us to do.  This is the football.  This is our “basics.”  This is our challenge.  Let’s go!

MacArthur wrote a great book on some of the fundamentals of the faith. Click the picture below to check it out for yourself…