You should not live at one extreme or the other, balance is the key.
A father and his son move in with the fathers’ brother. One brother is a neurotic rule follower while the other floats through life never noticing or obeying the rules, spoken or unspoken.
It’s funny to watch the two Harper brothers try to live cordially when they are at such different ends of the spectrum. The commonality they both have though, is that they live in extremes, neither one finding balance.
God’s design for our lives is to work some, play some, spend time with family, spend time alone, have happiness, have sadness, and ups and downs. Anything done to an extreme is not appropriate in God’s eyes.
Finding balance in life is key, but not always easily attainable without effort. Are you a workaholic? Leave early 2 days a week to relax or see your family. Are you a stay at home parent, finding endless hours to be on the internet? A little is fine, but, make sure you find time for your household chores as well. Do you rely on your spouse to prepare all the meals? Cook dinner once a week. Do you stray away from the “outside” chores? Try doing it once a month. As you dig out from any extremes you may be living in, you will notice that other parts of your life seem to line up as well.
Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.
Ecclesiastes 7:18
Lord, as I try to keep focused on a Godly life, please, help me to keep balance in every area. Open my eyes so I can see when I am leaning too far one way or the other and help me get back on track.
Dancing with the Stars
Even when you are out of your element, with your partners’ (God) help, you can do amazing things.
Professional dancers team up with non-dancing stars and perform elaborate routines each week in hopes of winning the trophy at the end of the show.
Watching DWTS is fun because we get to watch non-dancers operate completely out of their element, but try to succeed and keep their cool anyway. In life, sometimes we must step out of our comfort zone.
Does a family member or friend need help with a task that is not comfortable to you? Rather than just saying NO, consider that maybe God wants you to help this person. Do you feel the pull to volunteer at church, but wonder if you can really accept the challenge because you’ve never done it before? Ask God for His guidance and help. The feeling of learning something new or helping someone is like none other. Do yourself a favor and step out of your comfort zone. Trust God in the process as Daniel did below.
Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help…..So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”… A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. … Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”. Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me,” Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. Daniel 6: 10 - 23
Lord, please, give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone when necessary. Please, encourage me to look to You to help me with the uncomfortable endeavors I must sometimes tackle.
Professional dancers team up with non-dancing stars and perform elaborate routines each week in hopes of winning the trophy at the end of the show.
Watching DWTS is fun because we get to watch non-dancers operate completely out of their element, but try to succeed and keep their cool anyway. In life, sometimes we must step out of our comfort zone.
Does a family member or friend need help with a task that is not comfortable to you? Rather than just saying NO, consider that maybe God wants you to help this person. Do you feel the pull to volunteer at church, but wonder if you can really accept the challenge because you’ve never done it before? Ask God for His guidance and help. The feeling of learning something new or helping someone is like none other. Do yourself a favor and step out of your comfort zone. Trust God in the process as Daniel did below.
Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help…..So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”… A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. … Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”. Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me,” Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. Daniel 6: 10 - 23
Lord, please, give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone when necessary. Please, encourage me to look to You to help me with the uncomfortable endeavors I must sometimes tackle.
American Idol
With hard work and God’s help you can break through the fear and realize your potential.
Un-known’s compete in a singing competition with the hopes of being crowned the American Idol.
Many of us have a hidden talent lurking inside of us, just waiting for the right opportunity to showcase it. It may be a professional talent (bookkeeper), or a theatrical talent (singing or acting), a caregiver talent (a good listener), or even a practical talent (great cook). Without relying on God to show us where this talent should be used, we may wonder aimlessly trying to find our way.
There are doors opening and closing around us all the time. Keep tuned to God’s channel to realize when you should walk through a door. Can you use your talent to honor God? More than likely, if God has given you a special ability, He intended for you to honor Him with it, by blessing or helping others.
Amos was a shepherd who listened to God’s voice and ultimately became a prophet. When God’s plan comes together for your life, a euphoric feeling will bubble up inside of you and spill over to your loved ones. Listen and act on God’s prompting, finding your place in life is a miraculous sensation.
But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.
Amos 7: 14, 15
Dear Lord, I know you have great plans for my life. I commit to looking to You for help each day, I will talk to you and read Your word to prepare me for the path you have designed for me.
Un-known’s compete in a singing competition with the hopes of being crowned the American Idol.
Many of us have a hidden talent lurking inside of us, just waiting for the right opportunity to showcase it. It may be a professional talent (bookkeeper), or a theatrical talent (singing or acting), a caregiver talent (a good listener), or even a practical talent (great cook). Without relying on God to show us where this talent should be used, we may wonder aimlessly trying to find our way.
There are doors opening and closing around us all the time. Keep tuned to God’s channel to realize when you should walk through a door. Can you use your talent to honor God? More than likely, if God has given you a special ability, He intended for you to honor Him with it, by blessing or helping others.
Amos was a shepherd who listened to God’s voice and ultimately became a prophet. When God’s plan comes together for your life, a euphoric feeling will bubble up inside of you and spill over to your loved ones. Listen and act on God’s prompting, finding your place in life is a miraculous sensation.
But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.
Amos 7: 14, 15
Dear Lord, I know you have great plans for my life. I commit to looking to You for help each day, I will talk to you and read Your word to prepare me for the path you have designed for me.
Survivor
Once you are worn down, deception and lying can actually sound good.
A team of Americans are stranded in a remote foreign land and are forced to live in a primitive “society”. One by one, they vote each other out, until the last two are left and ultimately one is awarded 1 million dollars.
Life is extremely hard, plain and simple. However, having a hard life does not authorize us to be deceitful. When you make the decision to step across that line and turn your back on God, that decision will follow you around for a life time. Each and every time you listen to the wrong voice, it becomes easier and easier to walk away from God.
Daily, you must make the decision to follow the Godly path. As life wears you down, as it inevitably will, the temptation will be come stronger. The enemy designed it this way. During your weakness, deceit becomes sweet, like honey, while honesty can become bitter……or so it seems. Dishonesty, like a drug, will satisfy you for a short while, but ultimately lead to ruin. Honest living will eventually lead you to a calm and rewarding life, rather than the violent and unsteady road corruption always delivers.
But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves ………… Joshua called together the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you lie to us? They replied, “We did it because we—your servants—were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this.
Joshua 9: 3 - 22
Lord, when life hurts and I am completely worn down, please, help me to follow Your lead anyway and always do the right thing.
A team of Americans are stranded in a remote foreign land and are forced to live in a primitive “society”. One by one, they vote each other out, until the last two are left and ultimately one is awarded 1 million dollars.
Life is extremely hard, plain and simple. However, having a hard life does not authorize us to be deceitful. When you make the decision to step across that line and turn your back on God, that decision will follow you around for a life time. Each and every time you listen to the wrong voice, it becomes easier and easier to walk away from God.
Daily, you must make the decision to follow the Godly path. As life wears you down, as it inevitably will, the temptation will be come stronger. The enemy designed it this way. During your weakness, deceit becomes sweet, like honey, while honesty can become bitter……or so it seems. Dishonesty, like a drug, will satisfy you for a short while, but ultimately lead to ruin. Honest living will eventually lead you to a calm and rewarding life, rather than the violent and unsteady road corruption always delivers.
But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves ………… Joshua called together the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you lie to us? They replied, “We did it because we—your servants—were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this.
Joshua 9: 3 - 22
Lord, when life hurts and I am completely worn down, please, help me to follow Your lead anyway and always do the right thing.
Dirty Jobs
Each and every part of God’s army is of equal importance.
Mike Rowe goes out and does the work of ordinary people. He learns how bright all these folks are and how critical their jobs are to our every day life, our existence.
My professional career has been in telecommunications. Someone told me once, “dial tone is like the lights, no cares or notices unless they break”. Many times when people looked down on me, or wouldn’t give me the time of day, I thought to myself, “hmmmp, I could make your life miserable”. I always tried to do the right thing, but I must admit, those thoughts DID go through my head.
God wants us to treat everyone with respect, honor and love. The body of Christ consists of many different kinds of people, laborers, clergy men and woman, child care workers, janitors, waiters, programmers: They all have the same value. The next time you encounter a worker, you generally wouldn’t even notice, treat that person as if they were a pastor at your church.
In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
I Corinthians 12: 22-26
Dear God, please, help me to show respect and give honor to those people that I don’t necessarily notice. Allow your love to flow through me to them.
Mike Rowe goes out and does the work of ordinary people. He learns how bright all these folks are and how critical their jobs are to our every day life, our existence.
My professional career has been in telecommunications. Someone told me once, “dial tone is like the lights, no cares or notices unless they break”. Many times when people looked down on me, or wouldn’t give me the time of day, I thought to myself, “hmmmp, I could make your life miserable”. I always tried to do the right thing, but I must admit, those thoughts DID go through my head.
God wants us to treat everyone with respect, honor and love. The body of Christ consists of many different kinds of people, laborers, clergy men and woman, child care workers, janitors, waiters, programmers: They all have the same value. The next time you encounter a worker, you generally wouldn’t even notice, treat that person as if they were a pastor at your church.
In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
I Corinthians 12: 22-26
Dear God, please, help me to show respect and give honor to those people that I don’t necessarily notice. Allow your love to flow through me to them.
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