We live in a world where there seems to be a great sense of urgency, especially during the Christmas season.

Hustle and bustle:

The season is marked by all the hustle and bustle from Christmas parties to end-of-the-year deadlines at work, to endless family gatherings, to last-minute shopping for the perfect gift. Marketers don’t make it any easier. Have you ever heard, “Hurry while supplies last,” or “limited time only”? None of us want to be left out or made to feel as if we missed something good. So, there is this push to hurry, hurry, hurry.

Sharing the gospel:

The word urgency means: importance requiring swift action, giving us a sense that we need to do something, go somewhere. But, as believers in the Lord Jesus, we should have a sense of urgency when it comes to sharing the gospel. Mark 16:15 (ESV) — And he [God] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Going into all the world:

The word go means: as you are going, or as you’re living — as you’re golfing; as you’re working out; as you are at work, living, buying a new home; as you’re going to college or school; or as you’re just hanging out. In other words, as you’re living life, there should be this sense of urgency to share the gospel — the good news — to tell others what God has done for you.

Write your testimony in a hundred words or less, and be prepared to share the gospel with others as you are living your life. Make a difference!

Just a thought and merry Christmas,

PSS

Possessing a generous spirit or being a generous person will enlarge your life. The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller (Proverbs 11:24 MSG).

Generosity:

Generous is defined as: being of noble birth and possessing noble character. Such a person is generous in overlooking injury or insult, rising above pettiness or meanness. It also indicates a willingness to give, share, or to bestow favor. When you possess noble character, you have high morals and ideals, and are honest and charitable.

Nobility:

We must all learn to develop generosity and noble qualities. Some of these qualities are courage and selflessness — generous people always put others first — humility, patience, and caring. These are noble qualities we can all learn and develop.

Rebirth:

When we receive Jesus and are born again, we are reborn as a King’s kid. We become of noble birth because Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Thank God He can change everything about us. Then we must learn to be generous, noble. A noble person is admired and respected because they are unselfish and morally good. They are individuals who care for others and want to see them succeed. We may not be born noble, but we can be born-again noble. It’s your choice!

If you choose correctly, your world will get larger and larger. If you choose incorrectly and stay stingy, your world will get smaller and smaller — your choice! The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever (1 John 2:17 GNT).

Just a thought,

PSS

Our attitude is everything. We need to recognize how important it is how we see things, circumstances, even our future, our hopes and dreams.

Attitude defined:

Attitude is defined as: a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior. It is also defined as: a state of mind. It’s about how one thinks, sees things in their life.

Your choice:

You can have a positive attitude, a negative attitude, an indifferent attitude. They are all your choice. You can choose to see the bad if you want — saying things and believing things like, “Nothing ever works out for me; it doesn’t matter what I do: I never get a break.” Or you can choose to see the opportunities, the good that is before you. Either way, you get to choose your attitude. I have met some very sick people who are dying who continue to believe for the best, and see good in their lives. Then I have seen very healthy people who have the mindset, “The sky is falling; the sky is falling!” Their attitudes are so negative and bad. They see only the negative, and never the good.

Attitude for success:

So you choose. You choose what attitude you will possess. People who choose to have a good attitude seem to be much happier in life, and often like to be around people with good, positive attitudes. You get to decide your own attitude. Take two people with the same abilities and qualifications: one is very successful, and one is not. Almost all of the time the difference is attitude.

Let’s develop a good, positive attitude!

Just a thought,

PSS

The world lacks hope. Human beings are clamoring to fill their empty lives with stuff. As a result, abuse, addiction, illness, and broken relationships surround us.

Hopelessness:

Most people think of hope as a wish, wanting something to happen, but just not sure if it will. They want it to, but have no real confidence it ever will. That’s why there is so much hopelessness in our world. Hopelessness is a dreadful thing. The hope this lost world offers you is all about a feeling or desire that something might happen. But God offers another kind of hope — a real hope — one that you can count on.

The Hope of the World:

Biblical hope not only desires something good for the future — it expects it to happen. Hope in God is possessing a confident expectation that something will happen. Ordinarily, people expressing hope are expressing uncertainty. People need to know that Jesus came to bring hope to a lost world, that He is hope, and that our hope is alive. Jesus Christ is the Hope of the World. But you must receive Him to get it.

Great confidence:

We can hope with great certainty by giving ourselves to Jesus and believing His promises. We can have great confidence in God’s word. In this world that is so uncertain, we need hope. God gives us hope — Jesus is that hope. He gives us the confidence to move forward in life regardless of our circumstances. It sustains us amid the darkest of human circumstances.

Let’s all be hopeful. God will always perform His word.

Just a thought,

PSS

Conflict is inevitable. No relationship is immune.

Opportunity knocks:

When managed biblically, conflict can serve as a catalyst for change and an opportunity for spiritual and relational growth. Psychologists define conflict to be: a state of opposition, disagreement, or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people. Conflict mostly refers to the existence of the clash, which can be interests, values, actions, or directions. In a “Peanuts” cartoon, Lucy says to Snoopy, “There are times when you really bug me, but I must admit there are also times when I feel like giving you a big hug.” Snoopy replies, “That’s the way I am … bugable and hugable [sic].”

Approach/Avoidance:

And so it is with us and our relationships — we need each other, yet we annoy each other. At times, the people to whom we are the closest are those with whom we experience the most conflict. In friendships, we are off again and on again. Before marriage, opposites attract; but after marriage, opposites attack. In the Church, as the old saying goes, “We long to live in heaven, together in God’s glory. To live together down on earth, well, that’s another story.”

Might is not right:

Proverbs 15:1 (NLT): A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. We must learn how to handle conflict better, realizing it’s not about being right: it’s about resolving the issue. In Matthew 5:39 (NIV), Jesus said, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” To the Jew, this was offensive. They were looking for a military leader who would help them destroy their enemies. Jesus was saying you must give up your rights. Today, we live in a world where people are taught to stand up, fight for your rights — what you think you deserve. Jesus was teaching us not to demand our rights.

In order to resolve conflict, we must pray and humble ourselves and make it about the issue. The relationship is always more important than the issue.

Just a thought,

PSS