beafriend's Blog

What do you say to someone who acts one way and pretends to be another?<br />

It is right or wrong or does it matter?<br />

How would you feel if someone told you they loved you but only showed you love when they had to or when they were told to?<br />

What would you do if someone you trusted lied to you over and over again? Every time they said sorry but continued to lie anyway.<br />

How would you feel if you gave something very valuable and important to someone, only to have it lost or taken advantage of?<br />

What would you say to someone whom you love but never loved you back?<br />

What would you do when those who call you a friend turned on you?<br />

How would you feel if you wrote a love letter and it was rejected and ignored?<br />

What would you say if I told you that you treat me this way....... <br />

<br />

Your friend,<br />

Jesus

How many times have we had someone say or do something that has hurt our feelings? Most of the time I believe people say or do things out of ignorance, not realizing what they are during is hurtful.



Most of us do not think about what we say before we release it from our everlasting knowledge that we draw from the âBank of Geniusâ or our âWell of Kindnessâ. We believe that what we have to offer is most critical and once we verbalize to our captivated audience our words of wisdom, they will certainly become amazed of our ability to communicate exactly what they need to hear! WRONGâ¦. What we have to offer is not what your friends, husbands, wives or our neighbors need to hear. What they truly need is for us to shut up and listen! Every time someone speaks does not ALWAYS require a response. Instead of an immediate response of wisdom or a greater analogy, try to allow that person to feel like they are on âCenter Stageâ.



Wait a darn minute!!! You mean I am suggesting that you are not important and therefore can offer nothing? Absolutely!! If what we say comes to self glorification rather than Christ, then we should not say it at all. How is that possible?



Galatians 2:20 âFor I am crucified with Christ; it is no longer I that lives but Christ live in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.â



Every day we wake up and meet âMr. and Mrs. Self Righteousâ, and every day we need to squash those guys and continue to live in the Spirit of Christ. If we choose not to, we do have that choice, then we will continue to offer what we think is good advice and not the âspiritualâ advice an individual might need. Place yourself before Jesus and ask him to truly crucify your mind and your tongue.



Until He Returns

After reading my blog on âWill life slow downâ she challenged me with this statement; "You have told us what we need to do, so how do we do it?â What a great statement! So many times we teach and preach sermons but do not give a practical way that individuals can make application to what we challenged them to do.



Let me see if I can make some suggestions that I see in my own life that may help you in your quest to "slow your life down".



I am a father of two young boys who are very active in church and the activities, community sports, school activitiesâ¦. Well you get the picture.

1. Be prepared to give up the things that you enjoy.

Before my first son came along, my wife and I enjoyed a leisure life of church, spending time together, my band, martial arts, body building (not that you can tell it now) and tennis. We had time for late night rendezvous and could sleep late on the weekends! I soon realized after the birth of my first son all this had to change. I could not be a devoted father and spend time with every one else and not my family.

2. Let go of what your desires are.

Letting go of what I wanted to do became a struggle at times. I enjoyed going to train at the dojo, I enjoyed practicing late on week days and I enjoyed spending time with my friends. Although there is nothing wrong with these things I realized (with a little help from my wife) that these are things that I wanted to do and they did not include the family.

3. Simplify your life.

Okay, here it is straight from the heart. I did not want to give up these things but if I was going slow down then I had to let go of the things that I enjoyed and free time up for my family. I made some of the toughest decisions in the early years of my first son.

So here I am today; I get to play an occasional game of tennis, haven't picked up a weight in over 8 years, stopped practicing martial arts and all for what? I have a loving wife that is my best friend, and two amazing boys that I get to coach in sports and teach them the word of God! I would give it all up again and again!



In conclusion, if you want your life to "slow down" be ready to make some serious decisions that you will likely struggle with. It could be downsizing your home, selling that priceless car, or giving that championship team that a final notice. What ever the Lord calls you to do, it will be worth every moment.



Can life slow down? Yes, but you have to make the choice to make it happen.

Today we have an "express" way of doing everything. What ever happened to the good ole days of waiting for the ice cream to be made to perfection? What about the times we spent watching "Little House on the Prairie"? Does anyone besides me feel that we are moving so fast it seems that it is hard to catch our breath?



There are many people that never can seem to put the gear shift into 4th or even 3rd gear, especially people who are in ministry. Some how life seems to be stuck in 5th and every time we allow ourselves a small amount of leisure it last only for a brief moment.

Yes, I know the economy less than stable and gas continues to increase and it seems that the church is paralyzed in a frozen stage of infancy. So what do we need to do? How are we able to live in a world of compromise people who want all they can get from the material world? What are we to do when teenagers seem to care about their friends more than family? And how are we to battle against technology that gives us what we want when we want it? I mean, 1 million people have the new i-Phone...donât you?



There is one thing that remains the same and since the beginning of time He has suggested that His people would take the time to be still, stay strong and separate yourself from this world.



I pray that when you read Psalm 46:1-11 that it will remind you and me that God has not left us to survive on our own. He is our ever present help, our refuge and our strength. Trust in Him and Jesus will carry you through is all.

Psalm 46:1-11

God is our refuge and strength, an ever- present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.

What does it mean to be a child? Many people may say children are impatient, whiney, take too much time, worry-some or even frustrating to deal with.



Why then does Jesus tell the disciples in Matthew 18:3 ââ¦Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.â



Are we supposed to revert back to our immature childhood and release all the responsibility that we have as an adult? Should we forget about all the lessons we have learned and start over? The disciples are asking about power and position and forgetting about humbleness and humility. Do you remember whey you would climb up the stairs and jump to mom or dad without hesitating? Was there a time when you fell and scraped your knee, then ran home to mom knowing that she would make it all better with a band-aid and a few hugs and kisses? Many of us have those memories of mom and dad making it all better and knowing they would always be there to fix things.



Jesus is offering the disciples, you and me a different prospective on life and the way we perceive it. Children often see those who care for them as the âno matter whatâ person or people. No matter what happens I know that they will take care of me, even when I get hurt. Jesus wants us to be like that child, no matter the situation or circumstance, He will be there. Quit worrying about âhowâ and focus on the ânowâ!



Jesus has promised throughout the Bible that those who trust in Him will never be alone. Sometimes we forget how easy it is to just rely on the power of Christ to take away our pain, suffering, anger and all the other problems we encounter. We want to be a âMr. or Mrs. Fix Itâ. He is our Father that never lets go and no matter how far up the stairs we climb He will be there to catch us when we jump. You can not jump too far because His arms reaches to the ends of the earth and pass the depths of the sea. He will always be there to bandage our âboo-boosâ.



Lay aside all the wealth and positions that you hold on to, lay those things at the foot of the cross and come back to the child like faith you once had. The next time you see a child; look at them as the greatest example that Christ used to teach his disciples. Just jump to Jesus without hesitation! Taste and see that the Lord is good! You are the apple of His eye!