Christ-follower, Husband, Dad, Pastor

attitude

August 21, 2013

Seven Ups to Take You to the Next Level

Valley Fellowship Church continues the AWAKE series with twenty-one days of intense prayer during the month of August. As I was studying for my soon-to-come sermon from the Book of Jonah, I stumbled on notes from a message I shared more than a decade ago. I don’t recall where I may have gotten the original idea. I think I heard someone share something similar when I was still in high school. Or, maybe, I was just inspired while drinking a carbonated beverage – 7Up!

I was encouraged by seven points I had jotted down, and so I thought I would elaborate upon them today. As Christ followers, we are always on the way up – hopefully, changing day-by-day into the likeness of Christ. Here are some unassuming tips – seven ups – to take you to the next level.

1.  Wake Up

Decide to have a good day. Let the joyous strength of God arise in you. The Psalmist puts it simply: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 HCSB) You are alive; live like it.

The late Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill shared a story:

An Irishman went into the local bank to get a loan to buy a house. The Yankee banker looked up the record of the Irishman’s bank account, then he looked over the application for the loan, and then he addressed the applicant. “I have a standard test,” he said. “I have one glass eye and one real eye. I’ll give you the loan if you can tell me which is my glass eye and which is my real eye.”

The Irishman studied each of the banker’s eyes carefully. “The glass eye is the left eye,” he finally said.

“You’re correct,” said the banker. “But how could you tell?”

“It was easy,” said the Irishman. “The left eye had warmth in it.”

2.  Look Up

Start your day with your attention set on heaven’s Lord. Focus on the Lord, not your problem. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2 NLT)

3.  Dress Up

Put on clothes that encourage you to be successful. In college, I discovered that I would perform better on exams when I was dressed up. You don’t have to put on a tuxedo to advance in life, but you might want to consider how your attire impacts you.

This in turn reduces tiredness or fatigue Increased appetite Constant thirst Urinating very often Weight loss without trying Blurred vision Loss of feeling cost cialis or tingling in the feet Deep, rapid breathing Dry skin and mouth Increased pulse rate Nausea or vomiting Stomach pain Complications Over time, if couples don’t express their desires and fantasies to each other. The implementation and adoption of the significant dosage in the victims before buy tadalafil india some times of sexual interaction can provide them with the significant output. The get viagra overnight constituent of this potent capsule finds accepted by the FDA. Current Laboratory on line levitra Reference Range Optimal Range 193-423 mg/dL 200-300 mg/dL 3. An easy way to change your outlook on a day is to change the expression on your face. It is wisely spoken that the best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks and improve your life.

I like this story:

My friend Helen has twelve children, and she dresses all of them alike. “When we had only four,” she explains, “I dressed them alike so we wouldn’t lose any. Now that we have twelve, I dress them alike so we won’t pick up any that don’t belong to us.”

4.  Lift Up

Lift your voice in prayer. Get into a real conversation with your loving Heavenly Father. Your prayers unlock the path for your next level. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

5. Shut Up

Make a conscious decision to listen and then to choose to say pleasant things. Hold your tongue from releasing that ready cut-down. Instead, let your words encourage your listeners to move on up to the next level. And, don’t be so quick to give full voice to every thought that flies through your head. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. Wisdom counsels, “Whoever controls his mouth protects his own life. Whoever has a big mouth comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 13:3 NOG)

6.  Stand Up

Stand for what you believe in, for what you value, for what matters. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. “And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” (Galatians 6:9 AMP)

7.  Reach Up

Reach for something higher than you currently are. Don’t settle; don’t stop moving forward. God isn’t finished yet, but He is faithful to finish what He started (Philippians 1:6). Hold out for what God has ahead. John Maxwell astutely quips “Circumstances do not make you what you are – they reveal what you are!” Several years ago, a classified ad in the Great Falls, Montana, Tribune offered: “Uninspired fat guy wants to sell intimidating exercise machine. You can reach me in the evenings on the couch.”

With that – I think will get up and take a walk.

April 27, 2013

Work with the Time You Have

Time is fleeting. Life on earth is brief. Don’t spend your time foolishly. “To waste time is to squander a gift from God.” (John Blanchard) Do you have God’s perspective on time?

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”  (Psalm 90:12 NLT)

  • “There is nothing [which] puts a more serious frame into a man’s spirit than to know to know the worth and preciousness of time.” (Thomas Brooks, The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, Volume 5, p. 11)
  • “Time lost can never be retrieved. Time cannot be hoarded, only spent well.” (Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, p. 94)

The secret of married life lies in the cialis samples satisfaction of opposite sex. It is a renowned herbal cure purchasing cialis online for treating premature ejaculation. All the dose strength, power and healing capacity are almost the same of the cialis professional no prescription that are made by any of the local and the national articles about Pioli’s decision, but I want to take this from a different perspective. Mr Cable supported a call from Lord Blair, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, for a police investigation into what he said appeared to be Find Out More buy generic cialis evidence that Barclays staff had perpetrated a conspiracy to defraud.
The story is told of a man’s return to the doctor for a diagnosis. Sitting down, the doctor abruptly announced, “I have bad news and worse news.”

“What’s the bad news?” the bewildered patient blankly responded.

The doctor paused, “The bad news is that you only have twenty-four hours to live.”

The man leaped, spun around, arms flailing. “I can’t believe this,” the man shouted, “I’m not ready; I don’t have enough time! No! No! . . . If that’s the bad news, what could possibly be worst?”

“I forgot to call and give you the report yesterday.”

“Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right.”  (Ecclesiastes 8:5b NLT)

You can’t just WANT to do something with your time; you must DISCIPLINE yourself to do something with your time. “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat.” (Proverbs 13:4 NASB) I always smile when I read Old Testament passages equating “fatness” with prosperity and success. American society reveres skinniness; Hebrew culture valued body fat. Here is Proverbs 13:4 more dynamically translated for today’s mindset, “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” (NLT)

“The lazy person claims, ‘There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!’” (Proverbs 22:13 NLT) Unless there REALLY IS a lion out there! Or a shark?

“If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 GNT)

Don’t wait until the conditions are “perfect” or you are in the just the right mood. Feelings are unreliably fickle. Don’t let your emotions – anger, bitterness, sadness, insecurity, etc. – hold you hostage. Choose a constructive frame of mind; choose your attitude; choose to be productive now.

“Our task is not to bring order out of chaos, but to get work done in the midst of chaos.” (George Peabody) Work with the time you have.

This is part two of God’s Perspective on Time. To view part one, click “God Owns ALL – including Your Time“.

April 3, 2013

“HAVE TO” or “GET TO”

How do respond to God’s call to serve and to shoulder kingdom responsibilities at your local church?

Do you view the chance to serve as an opportunity or an obligation? “I have to do . . .” OR “I get to do . . .”? What does your choice of words reveal about your heart?

God’s Word commands, “Serve the Lord with gladness.” (Psalm 100:2a NASB) In the Old Testament, God wanted to prosper His people but their attitudes brought His judgement: “Because you didn’t serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly above all else.” (Deuteronomy 28:47 CEV) Check your attitude. Do you need to inform your face or your tongue?

Can you sense the thankful attitude of the descendants of Korah who originally penned Psalm 84? “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God, than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10 NLT) Their heart to serve was quite different than their self-serving, self-promoting ancestor Korah (Numbers 16). Serving in God’s house wasn’t something they had to do. It was something that flowed from their grateful hearts. Their response to God’s call was joyful service. They demonstrated an “I get to do this” attitude about the work of the ministry, not an “I have to do this” mentality.

The Psalmist David also displayed a heart for God’s house. Consider his prayer, “Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do, and I will obey you faithfully; teach me to serve you with complete devotion.” (Psalm 86:11 GNT) David’s desire was to be totally devoted to the Lord’s service. He had an “I want to do this” mindset.

Ultimately, Jesus Christ is the best example of the service mentality that honors the Lord. “Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be. For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God’s equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man.” (Philippians 2:5-7 PHILLIPS)

Maintain an appreciative attitude  in all things, but especially towards the privilege of serving God’s house.

April 1, 2013

Death of “Someone Else”

You should have two testimonies – one of how God saved you and one of how God is using you. Where are you volunteering? Are you helping to expand God’s kingdom? Are you actively involved in the life and ministry of your church?

“Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (Philippians 2:4 MSG) If you aren’t actively serving others, you are missing out on an important component of why you exist.

Locally and globally, members of Valley Fellowship Church (#ilovemychurch!) glorify Jesus Christ as they express love in practical ways. In 2011, we partnered with George Gonzalez and Amazon Xpeditions to provide clean water for a village off the Amazon River. I honor the men who built that water system in Atalaia, Brazil. They cared enough to give their time, their strength, their sweat to serve. What a team! That’s my father-in-law in the middle. They discovered that serving is rewarding.

Never forget that when you serve others you are actually serving Jesus Christ! “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24 NIV)

When you leave this world, what legacy will you leave?

We were all saddened to learn this week of the death of one our church’s most valuable members – Someone Else. Someone’s passing created a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years, and for every one of those years Someone did far more than the normal person’s share of the work.

Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results. “Someone Else can work with that group.”

Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s lips, Someone Else! “Let Someone Else do it” was a common refrain heard throughout the church.

It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the largest givers in the church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed that Someone Else would make up the difference.

Someone Else was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing super-human; but a person can only do so much. Were the truth known, everyone expected too much of Someone Else.

Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things that Someone Else did?

Remember, we can’t depend on Someone Else anymore. (Mark Stibbe and Darren Harvey-Regan, Basket of Gems, p. 29)

© 2024 - PastorGreg.org