Welcome to 2015! I believe that this is the year of growth, spiritual growth. We all should want to grow and mature in God’s ways. Anything that is healthy will grow. The Christian life, in a lot of ways, is a parallel to our physical life, in that we are “born” and then we are supposed to grow and finally we are to attain maturity. I Corinthians 14:20 says, “Brethren, do not be children (immature) in your thinking; continue to be babes in (matters of) evil, but in your minds be mature (men).” When we are born-again we are babes in Christ; this means that we are new to God’s kingdom and unsure of His ways. We must learn to operate and function now as Christians. However, we all need a desire to grow. Some never get out of being a “baby” Christian. The characteristics of a new baby are: having no responsibility, every need is taken care of, and not contributing or involving him or herself. These characteristics boil down to a “free ride;” therefore, their relationship with God remains very fragile. As a new Christian, we should grow. In the physical realm, children want to grow and as parents, we want them to grow. We get excited about their first words, first steps, and really excited when they are potty trained.

There is no difference within the spiritual realm. We should grow, contribute, and consistently learn more each day about who our Father in heaven is, who our Lord Jesus is. We need to walk, talk and act like Him. We will only grow as we learn the Word of God. Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We need to hear and learn the Word of God and practice it. Let’s be committed to getting involved and really growing and maturing. A story has been told of a little boy who fell out of bed and when asked what happened, he said, “I guess I just stayed too close to the gettin-in place.” That is exactly why many people fall away from God, after they are born-again. They stay too close to the gettin-in place and do not grow to maturity. Welcome again to 2015; this will be the year to grow.

Just a Thought,

PSS

I have noticed that the happiest people that I know are those who give of themselves and their resources. On the other hand, the most miserable people that I know are selfish and greedy. Is this a coincidence? We should develop a heart for giving. Once we learn this principle and apply it to our own lives, I believe that we will have more joy, peace and happiness. In church terms, people think that if they tithe, they are givers. Even though it all begins with tithing, and every Christian should give their tithes to a local church, in reality tithing is returning to God what is rightfully His. Giving starts after the tithe, not before it. You return a tithe, and give an offering. Being a giver means that you give as the Holy Spirit prompts or directs. God is a giver and we should act and think like Him. We do not give to get, we just give. Our society has become more selfish and as believers we sometimes listen to the world and its philosophies instead of honoring God and obeying His word. Let’s learn to become true givers and watch how God restores peace, joy, and happiness back into our lives. The word “blessed” means: “happy, fortunate, and to be envied.” Let’s strive to be blessed.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Our culture is all about “self.” We chase self-actualization (self-fulfillment) and self-improvement; we teach self-respect, self-confidence, and self-esteem. We believe that we are self-made in our professions; we work hard to be self-reliant in our relationships. We pursue self-indulgence and self-gratification; we are self-absorbed, self-important, self-promoters and self-righteous, which makes us enemies of God’s people. We will use anyone and anything, in our self-serving quest, to make ourselves happy. Our culture is all about self.

Some of these things are not necessarily bad. However, apart from Christ, they are. We should be defined by the Word of God, not our culture, or our successes and failures. To be self-righteous means that you think you are better than someone else, or morally superior. God’s Word teaches that we are righteous because of Jesus’ sacrifice. To be made righteous means that we have right standing with God, not because we did something, but because God did something and gave it to us. If you have truly accepted Jesus into your heart, which means you are now following Him, you have been radically changed. We go from being selfish and about ourselves, to being unselfish and a servant to others. Now it’s not just about me, but about pleasing God and loving my neighbor as myself. Selfishness will rob you of peace and joy. It will remove any fulfillment you might desire. Only being unselfish, submitting to God, and serving others will bring you true joy, peace, and fulfillment. Judge yourself for your own good.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Do you have a good vision for your life? Are you living or only existing? According to a study, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, researchers found that 23% of the population has no idea what they want from life and as a result, they do not have much. Furthermore, 67% of the population has a general idea of what they want, but they don’t have any plan for how to get it. In comparison, only 10% of the population has specific, well defined goals, but even then, seven out of 10 of those people reach their goals only half of the time. The top 3%, however, achieved their goals only 89% of the time. This means that 90% of the population has no idea or plans for what they want out of life. Without a solid life plan to take hold of, you will have no direction or peace of mind. When you have no goal or vision for your life, according to the Bible, you will perish or run wild (Proverbs 29:18). You become an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles and self-pity. These are all indications of a lack of strength in your life which lead to failure, unhappiness, and loss. Without strength you cannot persevere.

We must have a goal or vision for our lives. As believers, our goal is the finish line. Our finish line is when we pass from this life to eternity. Without that goal in our lives, we run wild, act the way that we want, and live the way that we want. However, with purpose of a heart in God, it will guide our lives in a direction that when we get to the finish line, we will be allowed into God’s Heaven. You have two choices: you can merely exist or really live. Our finish line, our goal, should be to please God in every area. You need to ask yourself, “Who or what is directing your life?”

Just a Thought,

PSS