As we go about our day, dealing with all the issues of life that confront us, serving people is something we should keep in the forefront of our minds.

Do not be self-absorbed:

Whether it’s family, work, relationships, or anything else, we should think of people first. I’ve observed that those who serve others in some capacity are usually happier than those who live for themselves. It keeps things in perspective.

Serve and help others:

When we visit a young person who’s fighting for their life against a sickness, it can cause those seemingly impossible and big problems in our lives to appear insignificant. A selfish life will always cause problems to be magnified in our own eyes and mind. Serving others will put things in perspective. When we see someone who is disabled or less fortunate, let’s remind ourselves to serve and help others.

We should be unselfish people with our lives. We will find it rewarding and well worth it.

Just a thought,

PSS

Choose Your Fear

Fear is defined as: to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant).

Innate fears vs acquired fears:

We are born with two fears: fear of falling and fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned. We are taught to fear or we have experienced something in our lives that created fear. Fear is said to be an acronym for false evidence appearing real. One study found that sixty percent of things feared never take place. Ninety percent of things feared are considered insignificant issues. Six million three hundred thousand Americans have a diagnosed fear. God says He has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (NLT).

Godly fear: 

There is another fear that is healthy — it’s the beginning of wisdom. That is the fear of the Lord. This fear is not being afraid; it’s not fear of His wrath or a fear of eternal damnation. It is an affection for God — a reverence of Him. This is a healthy fear which is consistent with strong faith, great joy, and true courage. It’s an awesome dread of displeasing God — a deep respect of God.

Choosing your fear: 

People today believe they can become wise by life experience and academic knowledge alone. You get to choose your fear. One choice leads to the fear or fears the world brings: fear of flying, fear of failure, fear of death, fear of the dark, etc. There are so many of them. We can and will overcome our fears when we submit to the fear of God, when we serve Him because He is good and we respect Him enough to purpose to live by His word. The fear of the Lord is given to us when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The fear of the Lord has no bad consequences with it — only hope.

So, let’s choose the fear that will bring blessing to our lives — the fear of the Lord.

Just a thought,

PSS

Have you ever doubted? I know I have. Doubt means: to call into question the truth of; to be uncertain or in doubt about; to lack confidence in, distrust.

Asking the whys:

Doubt goes in two directions. The first direction it leads to is unbelief. Unbelief is the opposite of faith. The other direction it takes leads you to the truth, to a greater belief in God and His word.

George Bernard Shaw said, “Any belief worth having must survive doubt!” We doubt — don’t we? We ask the whys: Why did my friendship end? Why did God not help me when I was being abused? Why can’t I find a spouse? This is all doubt.

Blaming God:

The children of Israel believed God did good and evil. But we should know better. We know God gives us only good and perfect gifts, and it is the devil who does evil. But as the Israelites did, people today blame God. We all doubt at one time or another. We will at times blame the circumstances — they are too hard or too big.

Believing God: 

The truth is: doubt at times will grow into great understanding if we never quit seeking God. When someone allows doubt to become unbelief, they are really questioning God’s ability to perform. If you doubt yourself too long, then it turns into an unbelief of yourself — you will lose hope. We may all doubt ourselves, our abilities, but we should never allow it to turn into disbelief.

There is always hope with, and in, God.

Just a thought, 

PSS

Good advice is not always godly advice.

The highest standard:

We should weigh every decision against the word of God. When faced with a problem or a tough decision, we should go to the word of God and take our counsel from it. When we are at a crossroads in our life, what we put our trust and confidence in is important. It is the difference between life and death, success and failure, overcoming or being conquered by something or someone. You are the only one who can decide for your life — no one else can decide for you. 

What you believe in:

What a person believes is very important to their life. IF you choose to believe in the word of God, and you have complete trust and confidence in the word of God, it will bring life to all your being. Proverbs 4:22 NLT says, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. This is speaking about the word of God.

The final say:

Allowing God’s word to have the final say will keep you safe, protected from making decisions that could cause harm to your life and well-being. God’s word is full of wisdom — we must hold on to it, trust in it, and have confidence in it.

It’s your choice. You choose whom you will serve.

Just a thought,

PSS

Fear is one of those emotions that causes us to be overly safe in our lives. It can be a result of hurt, disappointment, or tragedy. Whatever the cause, it’s not a place where we should camp out. Too many of us spend our lives in fear. We take no chances, and we try to control everything and everyone around us.

Focusing inward:

Fear manipulates us into giving up on others and living a life that only focuses inward. We should strive to live a life that not only improves our lives, but the lives of those around us as well. A life of service and helping others is a life well lived.

Living life to the fullest:

Protecting ourselves from life’s misfortunes and making sure we never get hurt again isn’t living life to the fullest as God intended. When you serve others and pour yourself into it, you’re bound to get hurt from time to time. But isn’t the risk worth it? One day we’ll stand before the only Judge that matters and have to give an account for our lives. What would the Judge say to the one who declares, “Lord, I played it safe and didn’t take any chances. I looked out for only myself and made sure I didn’t risk anything”? How can He judge that?

Trusting God:

It’s all about loving life and trusting God with it. Step out in faith and help others by serving in the kingdom!

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark — professionals built the Titanic.

— Author Unknown

Just a thought,

PSS