How
do you get so much done?
Sometimes
my friends and coworkers ask me how I accomplish so
much. So I just want to write my testimony here. The
simple answer is, "God blesses me!"
Now
before you think that I believe if you are a Christian
you'll have a perfect blessing-filled life, let me
clarify! I don't believe that if you trust in God
you'll have a new car, a great job, and all the material
blessings of this world. Jesus said in John
16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation : but be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world." I know that God has certainly allowed
trials in my life to teach me lessons and polish me
for His use. See Malachi
3:2, Isaiah
64:8, Isaiah
45:9, and Jeremiah
18:6.
On
the other hand, I believe that when you obey God,
He can do great things in your life. "If you
fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow
all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God
will set you high above all the nations on earth.
All these blessings will come upon you and accompany
you if you obey the LORD your God." Deuteronomy
28:1-2. Based on this, I believe there are three
major factors that affect God's blessings in my life.
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1.
Living in Surrender
The
first is foremost and overarching. Daily I surrender
my life and plans to Jesus Christ. "Be not
therefore anxious for the morrow. . . . Sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34, R.V.
The
follwing words, inspired around 100 years ago, encourage
me to daily take all my plans, challenges, and request
to my Heavenly Father. Emphasis mine.
"If
you have given yourself to God, to do His work, you
have no need to be anxious for tomorrow. He whose
servant you are, knows the end from the beginning.
The events of tomorrow, which are hidden from your
view, are open to the eyes of Him who is omnipotent.
When
we take into our hands the management of things with
which we have to do, and depend upon our own wisdom
for success, we are taking a burden which God has
not given us, and are trying to bear it without His
aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility
that belongs to God, and thus are really putting ourselves
in His place. We may well have anxiety and anticipate
danger and loss, for it is certain to befall us. But
when we really believe that God loves
us and means to do us good we shall
cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God
as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles
and torments will disappear, for our will is swallowed
up in the will of God.
Christ
has given us no promise of help in bearing today the
burdens of tomorrow. He has said, "My
grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9);
but, like the manna given in the wilderness, His grace
is bestowed daily, for the day's need. Like the hosts
of Israel in their pilgrim life, we may find morning
by morning the bread of heaven for the day's supply.
One
day alone is ours, and during this day we are to live
for God. For this one day we are to place in the hand
of Christ, in solemn service, all our purposes and
plans, casting all our care upon Him, for He careth
for us. "I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil,
to give you an expected end." "In returning and rest
shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence
shall be your strength." Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 30:15.
If
you will seek the Lord and be converted every day;
if you will of your own spiritual choice be free and
joyous in God; if with gladsome consent of heart to
His gracious call you come wearing the yoke of Christ,--the
yoke of obedience and service,--all your murmurings
will be stilled, all your difficulties will be removed,
all the perplexing problems that now confront you
will be solved." Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessings, p. 100-101
Other
books that help me live in daily surrender are Steps
to Christ and The
Purpose Driven Life as well as regular Bible
reading. |
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Keeping
the Sabbath
I've
written about this already here in "The
Sabbath is Rest." When you take a full 24
hour to stop working (any kind of work!) every week,
on
the day that God commanded, God can bless you
and your work in ways that are not possible otherwise.
The
Sabbath brings balance and rest to my life. Without
it I'd be working too much for sure! Taking time to
stop and reflect is crucial in our high tech frentic
Western society. Sabbath gives me time to think about
my life, ask God for forgiveness for my sins, compromise
with the world, and lack of trust. I listen to Him
better on Sabbath because the cares of the world aren't
pressing in.
I
encourage you to study
what the Bible says about the Sabbath, keep it
within a trusting, believing relationship with Jesus,
and you too can find it's great blessings! |
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Following
God's Lifestyle Blueprint
Finally,
when you follow God's design for healthful living,
putting into your "car" the "gas"
that He designed, the body and brain work better!
This includes drinking lots of water, avoiding alcohol,
caffeine, and tobacco, getting exercise (which I'm
improving on!), eating vegetarian, and getting enough
sleep. The acronym NEW
START summarizes the principles well. Certainly
I'm not perfect in this area, but I'm always growing
and improving the ways I take care of my body. I do
this because God asks us to!
1
Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know t hat
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in
you, whom you have received from God? You are not
your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor
God with your body.
1
Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink
or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Read
more scripture support here and health
tips here.
We
have stories in the Bible of people who were faithful
to God in trying circumstances such as Joseph and
Daniel. I want to follow God with that type of commitment
for my whole life. Don't you? |