Archive for the ‘General Stuff’ Category

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?   Have you ever noticed how so many people today find themselves completely exhausted?  If life is supposed to be “so much easier” than it once was, why are we so tired?

Jesus gives us some encouragement on this topic.  In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said:  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all of the labor and stress of life?   There is one who understands and He desires for you to come to Him.  He wants each of us to surrender our lives to Him.  This is typically the exact opposite of what we think to do.  When things are going crazy in our lives, we strive to work harder to gain control.  Working harder isn’t the solution – giving our situation over to an all-powerful God is.  Have you taken His yoke?  Have you learned of Him and are you following the path He desires for you?  If not, you can choose to today.

I have recently wondered if all of the technological advances of our generation are for the best.  Certainly we are able to do more today, quickly accomplishing more with countless hours of information at our fingertips.  Nevertheless, I often think about previous generations that lacked many of our “modern” conveniences such as cell phones and Internet access.  Do we have a better life today than the generations before us, our just a busier one filled with more distractions?

How many countless hours do we waste on Facebook, mindlessly surfing the web, or playing video games?   These are all inventions created during my lifetime.  So what is the solution?   Should we toss out our televisions, computers, and cell phones?

Or instead, should we wholeheartedly seek to glorify our Creator using modern day tools to maximize our impact in reaching our world for Christ?  We have been called, for such a time as this, to avoid the distractions of our age.  Instead, we must manage and prioritize our time and resources in such a way that we can effectively fulfill His commission for us to:   Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.

With the conveniences of modern technology, we are able to obey this commandment – regardless of the continent we call home.

I talk to many people today struggling to find this thing we call happiness.  Yesterday morning in church, we took a good look at ourselves as Americans and realized that the average household income in our county is greater than 1% of the wealthiest people in the world.   That being said, we find the old adage true:  money cannot “buy” happiness.

I just wonder if many of us are chasing the wrong carrot.  Instead of seeking to find “happiness” in this life, shouldn’t we be setting our sites a little higher?   Isn’t happiness just a fleeting emotion that will come and go with the circumstances of this life?   I am happy when my football team wins, unfortunately being a Cleveland Browns fan, that means most Sundays I’m not happy.  Shouldn’t our lives be rooted in things much more significant:  things that will matter for eternity?

I do not believe that God wants us simply to pursue happiness.  The pursuit of happiness was something dreamed up by our countries founding fathers.  Instead, God tells us that the key to being fulfilled in this life rests with us being thankful and content with what we have.  Contentment is not something that comes naturally in our lives. We, by nature, become easily unsatisfied – longing for something more.   However, it is this covetous attitude that steals our joy in this life.   If we could heed the instruction of our good friend Paul and could “learn in whatsoever state we are, therewith to be content”, how much happier would we be?  Just a thought.