May 07, 2008
Making Life Work! --Issue #006
May 6, 2008
Successful Christian Living brings you monthly information, advice and resources for living a Christ-centered life in every area.
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In this issue...
1. You have what you really want.
2. A new web site
A Quick Focus
No matter how your day has gone so far, no matter how hectic it is, no matter your state of mind right now - Christ is with you. I invite you to close your eyes for just a few seconds. During that time just allow yourself to know that He is present with you. Let yourself know that He loves you, is there with you because He wants to be, and that He has a plan for not only this day but all your days.If you find something in the way then clear it up with Him right now. If that leaves no time to read the rest of this then don't read it. Your relationship with Christ is THE most important thing in your life.
When you feel at peace - not that everything in your life is perfect - just that you know He is with you, then I invite you now to the rest of the ezine.
You have what you really want
Walking through a store last week, the title of a book caught my eye. It was called, “You are broke because you want to be.” Wow, that is quite a concept. I had to go and check it out. Now the author wasn’t talking to those who have had a major set back through losing a job or medical bills but to the average person who holds debt and never seems to get ahead.I scanned the book quickly and the author’s premise is that if one really didn’t want to be broke and in debt that they would take every step necessary not to be. Because they don’t take those necessary steps then they really want to be exactly as they are. They don’t want to give up spending or impose limits on themselves. Like a child, they demand that cookie whenever they want it. At the same time, they whine and complain about the state of their finances but that state is completely their doing.
The concept of what we have is what we really want stuck with me for days and I took it even further. This can be expanded to just about every area of life. I am ___ (fill in the blank) because I want to be. I am not close with God because I don’t want to be. I don’t have a great marriage because I don’t want one. I have a disorganized home and life because I want it. I am overweight and out of shape because I want to be. Etc.
If we take this idea seriously, then it explains so much about the state of our lives today. If we really, truly wanted a deep, intimate relationship with God we would do whatever it takes to have it. If we wanted a great marriage we would take the steps to learn how and then do them. If we wanted a home that has peace we would create it. If we wanted to be in shape we would be.
If we are honest with ourselves and stopped blaming our lives on others or on circumstances, then we would have to come out of denial and put responsibility where it belongs – on ourselves. Then we would either have to stop complaining and just live out what we have, which is what we want, or want something else and take the actions necessary to have it.
But this begs the question: Why don’t we change? Because we want what we have more than we want what we could have.
If we are broke, for example, it is because we prefer to live without the self-discipline necessary to cut out those expenditures that would make abundance possible. We may not want to scrape by every month but we are not willing to deny ourselves anything to achieve it. So much easier to deny the problem is ours and complain instead.
So, this month let’s ask the Lord to remove the self-imposed blinders and let us see the true state of our hearts. We can look at our finances, our spiritual life, health, home, etc. and find out what we really want by the actions we take or don’t take. Then, we can ask the Lord to give us a heart whose priority is to live worthy of Him. We can rebuke lies that tell us that we are the center of the universe and should deny ourselves nothing. We can look at the beliefs that keep us from wanting what is good and right for us.
As we look at the state of our hearts we can take that opportunity to change them with the Lord’s help until what we want is what Christ wants. Then, one day we can start to say that what we want is a reflection of one who walks with God.
New Web Site
The site, Make My Christian Life Work, is a life coaching site. It deals with the day to day of living life and planning for a better future.Many people have a need for healing and freedom that would make it possible to plan and implement a great future. So, I am starting a sister site.
Solutions Christian Counseling is just up and running for a couple of days now. I will be adding pages as quickly as possible that will deal with topics such as: overcoming the past, being single, abuse, divorce, anger, anxiety, depression, addiction, codependency, burnout, teens and much more.
You can be the first to take a peek at the design and I hope you bookmark it and come back to see what is new.
As always, Christ will be foremost and center in every issue that is addressed. Come by for a visit at solutions-christian-counseling.com