Y Sunday, November 30, 2008Y
7:34 pm
If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you.Proverbs 9:12 NIV
To display the kind of responsibility that makes you successful in life: (1) Recognise that gaining success means practising self-discipline. Every time you stop yourself from doing what you shouldn't, and start doing what you should, you're increasing your capacity for responsibility and the rewards it brings. (2) What you start, finish. There are two kinds of people: those who will and those who might. Responsible people follow through. And that's how others evaluate them. (3) Don't expect others to do it for you. Paul writes: "Each one should carry his own load" (Galatians 6:5 NIV). Addressing students at the University of South Carolina, Chief Judge Alexander M. Saunders said, "As responsibility is passed to your hands it will not do… to assume that someone else will bear the major burdens, that someone else will demonstrate the key convictions, that someone else will run for office, take care of the poor, visit the sick, protect civil rights, enforce the law, transmit value, maintain civilisation and defend freedom… What you do not value will not be valued, what you do not remember will not be remembered, what you do not change will not be changed, what you do not do will not be done. You can, if you will, craft a society whose leaders… are less obsessed with the need for money. It's not a question of what to do, but simply the will to do it."
Sometimes we don't take responsibility because we believe others are more qualified. No, those who make a difference in life don't do so because they're the best qualified, but simply because they decided to try. Plus: God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!
7:30 pm
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.1 Peter 4:10 NIV
Each time you make a responsible decision you become a more responsible person. Successful people don't blame others. They take responsibility for their actions and attitudes. They show response-ability - the ability to choose a correct response no matter what situation they face. Responsibility is always a choice, and only you can make it. If being responsible hasn't been one of your strengths, then start small. You can't start from any place other than where you are right now.
Which areas of responsibility are the toughest for you? (1) Following through - taking responsibility to finish what you start? If you've a tendency to quit, give yourself relatively small goals that require you to stretch. Start in areas you care about deeply. Then with a few wins under your belt, begin tackling other areas. (2) Taking care of the small stuff? How often do you forget small things - that are big things to others? Like forgetting anniversaries and birthdays, not picking up the dry cleaning or taking out the trash, missing your child's game or concert. "Let your light shine… that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16 NIV). (3) Stepping forward - not expecting someone else to do it for you? Most of us have a tough decision that's waiting to be made, and we keep putting it off. What's yours? Why aren't you taking action? Write down the reasons, so you understand clearly what they are. Now write down the advantages of making the decision. Once you know in your heart what you should do, ask God for strength, do it, and stand by it. That's taking personal responsibility!
3:23 pm
Your faith has healed you.Luke 8:48 NIV
The Bible says: "A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 'Who touched Me?' Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, 'Master, the people are crowding and pressing against You.' But Jesus said, 'Someone touched Me; I know that power has gone out from Me.' Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and… told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. Then He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace'" (Luke 8:43-48 NIV).
Notice three important things in this story: (1) She did something she'd never done before. She decided to try Jesus. Wise move! Faith means stepping into the unknown and the untried, finding God's grace at work in unexpected ways. (2) She recognised her moment. She knew that Jesus was visiting her town, and might not be back. There are 'God-moments' in life when you've got to overcome your fear and move out in faith. If you don't, you'll miss them. (3) She opened the door for others. Up until this time, no one in Scripture had been healed by touching Jesus' garment. So her act of faith opened the door for others. "People brought all their sick to Him and begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of His cloak, and all who touched Him were healed" (Matthew 14:35-36 NIV). God's looking for people who are willing to break with tradition. When He finds them, He uses them to open doors and new dimensions of His power, so that others might be blessed and made whole.
Y Sunday, November 09, 2008Y
7:18 pm
Learn To Make Better DecisionsA prudent man gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 14:15 NIV
If you're still making the same mistakes at 50 that you were at 20, you need to ask God for wisdom. "The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out" (Proverbs 18:15 NIV). What you are in the present is determined by the decisions you made in the past. If you want to change your future, learn to make better decisions. Be wise; let these principles guide you:
(1) Never make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. If you do, you'll regret it. (2) Don't let your emotions blind you reasoning. Pray, weigh things carefully and base your decisions on mature judgment. (3) Surround yourself with sharp people and draw on their gifts, without being intimidated by their expertise. (4) Take the time to consider all options. What looks good to you today may not look so good tomorrow. (5) You can't fight successfully on every front, so choose your battles carefully. Simply stated: some things are not worth fighting for. (6) Take time to get all the facts; conjecture leads to crisis. (7) Consider the consequences of each action. Ask yourself, "Am I ready to handle this right now?" (8) Make sure your expectations don't exceed your potential and your resources. Be realistic. If you can't count, don't apply for a job in the finance office. If you can't sing, don't try to make an album. Focus on what God gifted you to do. That's where you'll succeed. (9) Time is your most limited and valuable resource. Don't waste it. (10) Allow yourself a 10% risk of being wrong, a 50% likelihood of betrayal, and a 100% commitment to trust God, go forward and survive it all.