Think About It

A lot of us were raised with the idea that hard work and dedication was sure to produce success. In fact, if we fell upon hard times we felt like we would get out of them by working harder. Any challenge could be overcome by more intensity. If things were digressing the key to turning them around was applying more time and energy. Now, while that sounds logical, it may not be as accurate as we were led to believe. Now, before you take issue with my point, think about this. If your goal is a location to the north of you, no matter how far or fast you run to the west, you’ll never get to your destination. You can work harder and longer hours, but if you are heading the wrong direction, you are actually getting farther away from where you want to be. Sometimes the problem isn’t effort, it is direction. Do you feel like the old adage, “The harder I work, the behinder I get”? Could it be that it is time to take a breather and reassess our focus? Is our goal really the prize we hop...

We live in a land of diversity. In fact, the United States has been known as a melting pot – welcoming all different types of people. Many of our larger cities contain multiple ethnic neighborhoods and even if the lines aren’t as distinct as they used to be, the multi-cultural aspects of who we are have made this a fun and exciting country in which to live. In the USA, fusion isn’t just a type of cooking, it is a way of life. While diversity can make us more well-rounded, it can also create some challenges. With distinctiveness comes the potential for division; yet, when managed correctly what makes us different can make us better. The United States isn’t the first place to have to deal with this; in fact, Christianity was born out of a heterogeneous culture. People from different backgrounds came together to change the world. Jews accepted Gentiles, the rich developed relationships with the poor; slaves and freemen were brethren. The church was built on the concept, “… accept ...

Charles Swindoll’s book, “Living On The Ragged Edge” is his take on the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. If you have ever powered through Ecclesiastes you realize it is not for the faint of heart. The writer (whom we assume to be Solomon) struggles with the meaning of life. As he gets to the end of the book, he also deals with the end of life. Many of us know about the physical struggles of aging, but in his commentary on Ecclesiastes Swindoll also addresses the emotional aspects of growing older. There are several challenges that come with the “golden years”, but he identifies four of them: a feeling of uselessness at no longer being relevant, a feeling of guilt from opportunities missed, resentment or bitterness over those times we felt wronged and a fear of not only the end of life on this earth, but also of our eternal future. Growing older can be tough, but thankfully, we don’t have to do it alone. While we often encourage the young people to choose God, the presence of...

What is at the heart of our religion? As you read this, you might be shaking your head at the simplicity of the question; however, I ask that you give me a little latitude here. While the obvious answer is that Christ is King, sometimes I wonder if that is also the practical answer. Is our religion based on God or are their other things that direct our spiritual journey? Have we ever thought about how important family traditions, politics, money, community prominence, social issues and other driving forces are to us? Have other causes superseded the focal point of our spiritual nature? The problem with these things leading the way in our lives is that they might lead us the wrong way. Without the proper focus, it is easy to get lost. When Paul wrote to the early churches, he continually kept bringing them back to the heart of Christianity – Jesus the Christ. In fact, he seemed to sum it all up in his early instruction to the church in Colossae when he reminded them of the preem...

Is it time to get back to the beginning? Most things we use regularly run pretty smoothly most of the time, but every so often the manufacturers recommend a restart. There are times this is necessary because of some type of update, but often it’s just necessary to clear out all of the junk that tends to gather in our devices and has the tendency to clog them up and make them inefficient. Good advice, right? Well, it’s also good advice when it comes to our lives as well! As we go through life we pick up bad habits, we get sidetracked by issues, we lose our focus; so every-once-in-a-while it is good to reset our lives. That brings us to the question, “How do we do it?”. The answer is to go back to the beginning. There are a lot of theories out there about how this world began, but for believers we have one focal point, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). God started it all and if we are looking for a restart it must begin with Him. Everything...

Can you imagine the mood around Philadelphia on July 5, 1776? July 4 had been about dedication and declaration, but when the group woke up on the next day how do you think they felt? The euphoria of the decision was ebbing and the creation of a new entity weighed heavy on this band of leaders. They were still committed to their plan, but it was time for the work to begin. One of the men instrumental in the development of early America was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was full of insight including this ditty, “For the want (lack) of a nail the shoe was lost, for the want of a shoe the horse was lost, for the want of a horse the rider was lost, for the want of a rider the battle was lost, for the want of a battle the kingdom was lost, and all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”. To put it a bit more succinctly, both preparation and planning are needed to be successful. Whether it is in the formation of a new government or as we plot our own individual course, it is great to develop ...

Happy Independence Day! July 4th is one of the most revered days in our nation. It marks the day our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence and made their break from Great Britain. True freedom took a war (or two) and the creation of the government that united the states, but in the end, we established a republic based on freedom. While no nation is perfect, I have been blessed to live in this one and I appreciate the work that went into making it what it is today. As I think about America’s Independence Day it causes me to reflect on another type of freedom – emotional freedom. Are there things in our lives that are holding us hostage to a lifestyle of sin? Are there struggles that are keeping us from enjoying life to the fullest? Maybe it is greed, an addition, immorality, anger, laziness, discouragement – or any number of other things that keep us wound up or bound up. Unfortunately, because of this many of us struggle with not enjoying the ability to live free fr...