Think About It

The other day, Jeane and I were watching a movie that we just about turned off after a few minutes.   It was filled with way too much silliness and slapstick for our liking and we were within a joke or two of moving on to something else.   We stuck it out and ended up really enjoying the show.   When we experience something like this, we typically say that they crammed ninety minutes into a two hour show.   We wished they would have trimmed the folly and just made it a shorter show.   When we think about our lives, are we filling it with value or are we cramming five decades of living into eight decades of life?   Are we making the most of the time we have been given or are we wasting too much time not accomplishing something useful?   I am not saying that everything we do and say has to be serious, but when we seek to be purposeful in how we live, we are apt to do more for the world around us and get more satisfaction from what we do.   Centu...

I like peppers.   In fact, I am particularly fond of jalapenos – especially the pickled ones.   I eat them quite a bit with a variety of dishes, not only with Mexican food.   Now, having said that, I will also be the first to admit that I am not particularly fond of “hot” stuff.   I don’t search the Scoville Scale for bragging rights on eating something hot just to eat something hot.   I like the flavor, but I can do without unnecessary pain!   Now, the reason for culinary observation is that I see a parallel in the human emotion of anger.   While there are times it may be beneficial to get a little hot under the collar, we must be careful to regulate it.   It should enhance our lives, not overwhelm it.   There is a phrase, “righteous indignation”, that tends to describe how anger can be used to enhance someone’s quality of life.   When we use anger to offset wrongs that are committed, it can make life more palatable; however, when w...

There are certain biblical passages that I have grown up with.   I may have learned them in Sunday School or was taught them in our own home, but they have been a part of my “vocabulary” for decades.   One of the ones that has deep roots in my soul is, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7).   I am sure some of my familiarity with the passage has to do with its presence in lessons on religious offerings, but as I grew up I learned its value in several aspects of life.   While we can accept this on face value, I also think it provides parallel lessons.   You see, God is not the only one pleased when we give with a generous spirit.   The people around benevolent people also appreciate their spirit.   Some because they are the recipients of the gifts, but others because generosity has a ripple effect.   People who are willing to give to offset ...

One of the challenges of maturity is viewing things through a new set of lenses.   As we are coming of age, we learn our own personal preferences and grow confident in being able to make choices based on our likes.   While it is important to feel comfortable in our own skin and self-assured with our personal choices, there comes a point in time when our desires will need to take a backseat to the needs and desires of others.   Part of leadership and development is a willingness to set aside what we want to do and assist others as they promote their own wants and needs.   Good leaders and mentors are able to step back and allow others their time to shine. While this may sound a little bit like pop psychology, it also has a biblical base.   The New Testament admonishes us, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also ...

How do we know if we have won?   We spend much of our lives pursuing a prize at the end of our lives, but have we ever thought about what awaits us as we reach the goal?   Is it having enough money to retire comfortably?   Is it living in such a way that people erect monuments to us?   Is it looking down at our adversaries and feeling like we have come out victoriously?   The other day, I was reading a portion of the writings of the wise King Solomon and came across this, “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9).   Here is a guy who had it all, indicating that sitting on the porch with the one true love of your life is the prize for a life lived well.   In essence, it isn’t riches that should define us, it’s relationships. For those of us who are approachi...

There are a lot of memorable names in the Bible, but Euodia and Syntyche may not be at the top of the list – however, they are forever linked throughout history.   When the Apostle Paul writes to a friend of his he notes, “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Philippians 4:2-3).   I have to admit that these two women have been targets throughout Christian history, but I want us to take a break for just a second and consider another aspect of this admonition.   Sure, they could have done better to get along, but notice that Paul doesn’t write them off.   They had been allies of his and had done their part to advance the Christian cause.   He wasn’t willing to let one bump in their road detour ...