One of the secrets to success is giving, not taking. Research done by Wharton Professor Adam Grant suggests that some of the most successful people, not just in business, are in fact classic “givers.” They are people who genuinely try to help those around them. The help does not just come in the form of finances, but also in taking an interest in sharing information and being willing to assist others in their endeavors.

We need to understand that a gracious attitude is needed to be successful. If all you do is take, then you are self-absorbed. On the other hand, if you give, share, or help others get ahead, I believe you will be happier and life will look brighter to you. We should make an effort to comprehend the principle of being generous. You should not expect people to give to you because they have something, but because they are sincerely concerned for you. So many people today are takers and think only of themselves, without any care for others. Givers are more successful than takers, which will you choose to be?

Just a Thought,

PSS

That is a huge question in our world today, even in our Christian communities. Am I allowed to judge? Should I make judgments? Is it right for me to do so? Jason Malec said, “Faith in God will – by definition– grate against a morally ambiguous culture.”

To judge means to separate, pick out, and to pronounce an opinion concerning right or wrong. We make judgments every day, all day. When people say, “Who are you to judge me?” what they are really saying is, “don’t tell me that my morality is wrong.” When you tell someone that you agree with them, you don’t hear them say, “Who are you to judge me?” In reality, you are making as much of a judgment there, as you are if you disagree. People today don’t want, or are becoming unwilling, to be told that they are wrong. The Bible says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged… For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:37-45, NIV). If you read it in context, it is telling us to not be hypocritical. In other words, if you are drinking alcohol and trying to tell someone else it is wrong, don’t do it. However, to be able to tell someone that they are wrong in the way that they are living (lifestyle, for example) really is right. We should not do this in a mean way. If we don’t uphold the standard of God’s Word and let people know the standard that God put forth on how we are to live, who will? As Christians, we are to let people know what God’s Word teaches on every area of our lives. That, in and of itself, will cause people to either embrace it, or reject it by saying, “Who are you to judge me?”  Either way, we are obligated to teach God’s Word to everyone.

Just a Thought,

PSS

The more I think about being thankful, the more I realize how important it is for our spiritual and emotional well-being. As I am purposing to be more thankful for what I have and less consumed with what I don't have, the more I enjoy life. So often people are consumed with what they don't have, instead of looking at what they do have and being thankful for it, whatever that may be. Thankfulness is defined as feeling or expressing gratitude, being appreciative, aware and appreciative of a benefit, and being grateful.

To be thankful is a choice. It is a choice to look at all the good in your life, instead of always seeing what is not good, in your estimation. For example, some people do not have a job and are desperate to have one. You have a job and instead of being thankful for it, you choose to complain about it. A mentor of mine always used to say, "It could be worse." For some, they can't even see that. However, things could always be worse.

I see so much pain and sickness; there are families falling apart and people hurting other people. It causes me to be thankful for what I have. I thank God each and every day for my life, for protecting my family, and for salvation. I'm even thankful to know that because of Him, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow, for salvation, for forgiveness and His help in my time of need. The more thankful you become in life, the more enjoyable life will be.

Start today and find something in your world to be thankful for. Practice being thankful and I believe you will see your circumstances differently. It will open you up to more possibilities in life, instead of limitations.

Just a Thought,

PSS

We all will experience loss at some time, in our lives. The first person that passed away, and I loved very much, was my dad. It was so painful and sad. To this day, I miss him. But what comforted my heart was the Word of God. “God sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from destruction” (Psalm 107:20). His Word is a comfort, when we experience a death of a loved one. What I have learned is that every one of us will experience it a little differently. Grief is grief and if you really cared for someone you will experience some degree of grief. The basic stages of grief are denial (you just can't believe that they are gone), anger (you are mad that they are gone), depression (you are troubled about them being gone), and then acceptance.

We will all go through some kind of process, when we have lost someone whom we cared for. What's interesting is that God gave us emotions, feelings, the ability to love someone, and then those same feelings and emotions can create in us hurt. However, God has a process for all of us. We must continue to believe Him and act on His Word because Jesus said that He came to heal the brokenhearted. If you are hurting today, maybe you have been grieving the loss of someone you really loved and cared for; start asking God to comfort you, and then find out what God says in His Word about those who are hurting, those who are born-again when someone close to them dies. What I realized is that God says that when another believer passes, we will sorrow, but we will sorrow with hope. Don't allow the death of someone close to you, as painful as it is, sideline you forever. I have met some wonderful people who have experienced such tragedy, only to watch them pick themselves up and act on the Word of God. I have watched God turn their pain around to where they are now helping others who are grieving. God can and will help, if only I believe.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Letting go of the past is for some easier said than done. Have you ever eaten something, and then that night or the next day you got really sick? After feeling better, you won’t eat that food because you think it was the reason you were sick. It will even become difficult to even think about eating it. It could have simply been that you got the flu, or that particular food had some type of bacteria in it. I've heard people say that they won't eat pizza for a long time. In their minds, the bad thing that they ate was pizza, and then they got sick and threw up.

 It's so funny to me how we think; I have done this same thing many times. Eventually though, we will go back and begin eating pizza again. We get over the past. Today some cannot move forward in relationships, with God, or with life because they were hurt in some way. They can't or won't allow themselves to get over their past experiences, which have hurt them. How sad it is for that person! We all, at one time or another, experience this type of pain and disappointment in our lives, but we shouldn't allow ourselves to become the victim of it.

We should realize that the only one who is really getting hurt here is ourselves. Let’s begin to let go of the past and begin to take steps to put ourselves out there again, knowing that people will make mistakes and do bad things to us. However, our lives are worth living and enjoying. Let’s choose to move forward, forgetting these thing in the past, and begin to look forward to what lies ahead.

Just a Thought,

PSS