Loving money and loving people are actually diametrically opposite forces. If you love money, basically you are just loving yourself, because you crave the power and pleasures and comforts that money brings. When you love other people, you are actually choosing to spend yourself, your energy and time, to make someone else's life better. You are giving rather than taking.
At one time or another we have all believed that acquiring money would bring happiness. It never does. The opposite is true: "Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred" (Proverbs 15:17). You will find the greatest satisfactions in your life in the ways in which you have served other people's needs. It's as though they have the keys to your happiness.
When we spend our energy tending to our relationships, including our relationship with God, all of our needs will be met. If you spend your life chasing money, you will end up with nothing. There are no checkbooks in coffins. But you can take the people with you to heaven.
In Christ, love can survive the grave.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Where Will You Be Five Years From Today?
In five years Columbus opened up a whole new world by discovering the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and North and South America.
In just under five years, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel.
In less than five years, Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet," "Othello," "King Lear," "Macbeth," and five other immortal plays.
In 1961, Julia Child graduated from cooking school with a quirky idea for a TV show. Four years later she won an Emmy as America's Favorite TV Chef.
Fired from their home improvement jobs, Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus created a business model called Home Depot and went public with their idea. Just three years after losing their jobs, their annual sales were $1 billion.
At age 30, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was living in a 500-square foot apartment. Five years later his net worth was $10 billion.
Five years...260 weeks...1,825 days...2,333,000 minutes. What will you do with it? What could you do with it?
In just under five years, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel.
In less than five years, Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet," "Othello," "King Lear," "Macbeth," and five other immortal plays.
In 1961, Julia Child graduated from cooking school with a quirky idea for a TV show. Four years later she won an Emmy as America's Favorite TV Chef.
Fired from their home improvement jobs, Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus created a business model called Home Depot and went public with their idea. Just three years after losing their jobs, their annual sales were $1 billion.
At age 30, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was living in a 500-square foot apartment. Five years later his net worth was $10 billion.
"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Five years...260 weeks...1,825 days...2,333,000 minutes. What will you do with it? What could you do with it?
Love Your Enemies
Pray for your haters, ask God to help you love them, and take every opportunity to do them good. Don’t avoid them, and don’t take sneaky swipes at them. One of the wonders of the gospel is that God can make the worst of enemies the best of friends. View this as a massive opportunity to display the power of the gospel.
Even if the person remains hostile, we still have opportunity to enter into the sufferings of Christ (John 15:18-25) and to demonstrate the love of Christ (1 Peter 2:20-23). Let your haters drive you to the Lover.
Even if the person remains hostile, we still have opportunity to enter into the sufferings of Christ (John 15:18-25) and to demonstrate the love of Christ (1 Peter 2:20-23). Let your haters drive you to the Lover.
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