Seeking Good Times

 

Seeking Good Times

1 Peter 3: ⁸ To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another, and be kind and humble with one another. ⁹ Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you. ¹⁰ As the scripture says,

“If you want to enjoy life
    and wish to see good times,
    you must keep from speaking evil
    and stop telling lies.
¹¹ You must turn away from evil and do good;
    you must strive for peace with all your heart.
¹² For the Lord watches over the righteous
    and listens to their prayers;
    but he opposes those who do evil.”

 

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Wanting a better assignment, I lied about my age. I said I was two years older than I was so that maybe my years of experience would seem like more than they were. I was still considered a rookie and I wanted to shake that perception.

 

• I lied to get ahead.
• I didn’t consider my lie as harmful.
• I showed my immaturity when I argued, fussed and fought instead of being above negative conversations.

 

Peter continues to provide some difficult lessons. He knew there would be some who would do evil to those who did good. His advice was to be above evil by paying back with good. He also used a Psalm from David to change the mindset. “Keep from speaking evil.”

 

My Observations

• Striving for “good times” must include me telling the truth.
• For me to “enjoy life” I must be able to rest, which means telling the truth.
• Doing “good” and striving for “peace” gives me the makings for a life filled with good times.

 

Evil, brings on more evil. I mean, when someone does or says something bad to me or about me, I want to retaliate. I get my argument ready and maybe even think of ways to tear “that” person down. BUT GOD wants me to act different.

 

HE wants me above petty arguments to focus on HIM. HE wants “good” and “peace” to flow from me. This means I have to make a decision. I have to slow down, step away from the evil and speak the truth in live when the time is right. I am glad GOD gives me courage to speak truth.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer mention “pay back?”
• Have you ever been provoked by an evil attack and wanted to retaliate?
• Will you take the high road next time and seek “good times” by doing good in GOD’s sight today?

Being the Boss

Being the Boss

Colossians 4:¹ Masters, be fair and just in the way you treat your slaves. Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.

 

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“When I’m in charge, things will be different” I said to myself. I was tired of being told what to do from harsh people and wanted to do the “telling” in a more gentle way. I was given the responsibility of managing a few people. It was exhausting! They had many questions and were not completing the work. “Maybe I should be harsh” I thought to myself.

 

• I was willing to fire people for not doing the work.
• I did not want to hear excuses.
• I thought being the boss would be easier than it was.

 

“Master” and “slave” are still hard words to overcome. For centuries, people of all races have tried to get people to do forced work while reaping the benefits of free labor in search of profit margins. Paul did not have the verbiage of “employee” and “employer.” He warns those in charge that GOD is watching.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to treat all people “fair and just”
• If I am in charge of people, my first reaction needs to go through GOD.
• Since I report to GOD, I must take into account HIS desires and purpose for me and my employees.

 

“Person” or “Profit”? I mean, do I see people and their needs or do I only see the company and its needs? This is a struggle as profit margins wane. BUT GOD has a remedy. HE simply wants to be the boss in all situations.

 

Being “fair and just” does not mean being a pushover. GOD wants me to treat employees with respect and pay him or her wages due to the work they have completed. I cannot favor one person over the other and I can correct employees as GOD corrects me.  I gladly yield to GOD’s authority because HE shows me compassion and correction.

 

Challenge

• What words from the writer, if any, are difficult to absorb?
• Have you ever managed employees or got tired of the “boss?”
• If you ever manage people or a project, will you place GOD over all your actions and decisions today?

Playing Dress Up

Playing Dress Up

1 Corinthians 15: ⁴⁵ For the scripture says, “The first man, Adam, was created a living being”; but the last Adam is the life-giving Spirit. ⁴⁶ It is not the spiritual that comes first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first Adam, made of earth, came from the earth; the second Adam came from heaven. ⁴⁸ Those who belong to the earth are like the one who was made of earth; those who are of heaven are like the one who came from heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we wear the likeness of the man made of earth, so we will wear the likeness of the Man from heaven.

 

⁵⁰ What I mean, friends, is that what is made of flesh and blood cannot share in God's Kingdom, and what is mortal cannot possess immortality.

 

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“Clean the basement” was the directive given to us. My siblings and I started off doing the work, but the stuff down there was interesting. We found games and toys we hadn’t played with in a while. Then we found old clothes. I put on my father’s shoes, shirt and some pants and schlepped around, talking in the deepest 5 or 6 year old voice.

 

• The big shoes, that easily fell off my feet, reminds me of responsibility I could not keep.
• The big pants, that I clutched onto with my hands,  reminds me of security I tried to place on things.
• The big shirt, that drooped over my frail frame, reminds me of circumstances I could not control.

 

Paul continues to speak about the physical body. We wear it for a while, but one day we will wear the likeness of “The Man from heaven.” He provides encouragement that we can play dress up while on this earth.

 

My Observations

• JESUS wants me to know HE took care of the hard part when HE saved me from death.
• JESUS wants me to be excited about HIS resurrection.
• JESUS wants me to understand that HIS shoes are too big to be filled by my actions, but HE likes when I play dress up, mimicking HIS ways.

 

While I cannot die to save someone from eternal death, I can play dress up and show others a small portion of what JESUS did. I mean, HE prayed for people, wept with them and cared for everyone HE met. HE does not mind when I do the same.

 

GOD knows I am a child and sometimes the shoes my fall off or the pants I’m clutching onto may trip me up or the circumstances may roll off my small shoulders. BUT GOD loves the fact that I am playing dress up , trying to be like HIM. I am glad I cannot be GOD and equally glad HE doesn’t need me to. I am also grateful I can point people to JESUS by loving others as HE did.

 

Challenge

• What does “wearing the likeness” of JESUS make you think of?
• What things did JESUS do that you can mimic?
• Can you enjoy life again by playing dress up for JESUS, being free for just a little while today?

Kindness

 

Kindness

Acts 27: When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. ² We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

 

³ The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.

 

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Planning my day, I thought of all that I had to do. As I crept towards the toll booth, I could see the building where I worked. This let me know I had to be ready. When I got to the window to pay, the attendant said, “You can go. The driver ahead of you paid your toll.” I stopped thinking about work for a moment and was thankful.

 

• I have experienced many kind acts.
• I have experienced times when people have done kind things, just for me.
• I have experienced kindness and it made me thankful.

 

Paul and the other prisoners were being transported to Rome. Paul had appealed to Caesar for his defense, but had done no wrong. Many people knew Paul was innocent. Julius, a centurion, decided to do something. He decided to be kind to Paul.

 

• GOD wants me to be kind to people.
• GOD wants me to use kindness to bear fruit.
• GOD wants me to remember to be kind to people so my heart will be filled.

 

Empty distracted hearts easily forget to be kind. I mean, the distractions of the world can lead to hurt and pain. BUT GOD steps in and sends HIS servants to be kind in the middle of a doom-filled situation. From giving me a ride to simply smiling at me, many people have been kind.

 

Acts of kindness from others prompts me to be kind to someone that day. But when I am flustered and it seems like a lot of problems are rushing at me, I can use kindness as a weapon. I may only have the strength to smile at people, but it makes the problem smaller and smaller. I am glad people have used the fruit of the Spirit by being kind to me.

 

• Have people been kind to you?
• Are you easily provoked to anger, jealousy and rage?
• Will you trade in your hurt for kindness, so you act can be remembered by GOD today?

Being Useful

Ezekiel 15: The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? ³ Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? ⁴ And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? ⁵ If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

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With lack of care, I tossed the box of paper to whatever location it landed. I did not appreciate the job, but I liked getting a paycheck. Loading and unloading a truck was not my idea of a job. In fact any job at that time was not my idea of a job.

• There were times that I did not care.
• There were times that I felt everyone owed me something.
• There were times that I looked down on where I was even when I was not worthy of being where I was.

Talk about being useless to the organization. I wanted to hide from “work” as much as possible. In fact, whenever someone was ready to goof off, I was there with my goof shoes on. I was getting paid to unload trucks and did not appreciate one minute. GOD had to show me something about myself.

• GOD said to me “Like a door on its hinges, a lazy man turns back and forth on his bed.”
• GOD said to me “Lazy people are too lazy to lift the food from their plate to their mouth.”
• GOD said to me “Lazy people think they are seven times smarter than the people who really have good sense.”

My laziness was useless to the company and sometimes my laziness crept into my relationship with GOD. I mean sometimes I was too tired to pray or too busy to serve or too broke to give. After a while I took an inventory and was doing everything for myself and nothing for GOD. In fact, GOD was dead last in my life and I was on top.

GOD wants me to put HIM first and others second before I get to myself. HE wants me to hold HIM with the highest regard and ask “What would YOU like me to do?” on a regular basis. My life is definitely HIS to do as HE wishes. I should be thankful on a daily basis.

• Are you grousing and complaining?
• Are you sick and tired of where you are?
• Can you stop complaining and start appreciating where GOD has you?
• Will you allow GOD to work in your life by asking HIM where HE wants you?

Being Jealous

Ezekiel 8: ³ He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. ⁴ And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.

⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy.

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“This guy really bugs me” I thought to myself. I mean he is loved by management and he never seems to have to do any work. He was always going out to lunch with them and they seemed to work his name into conversations I was having with them.

• Sometimes I get jealous of what someone has.
• Sometimes I get jealous of the position someone else is placed in.
• Sometimes I get jealous of someone else’s success.

When they asked me to help this guy, I dragged my feet. I mean “you are the darling, do it yourself” I thought. Little did I know, management was trying to bring me into the fold. They wanted me to get along with this guy and all I had to do was help him. My jealousy blinded me and everyone lost.

• GOD says to me “I detest jealousy but I love a helping heart.”
• GOD says to me “I cannot stand jealousy but I love self-sacrifice.”
• GOD says to me “I loathe jealousy but I love kindness, thoughtfulness and gracefulness.”

Appreciation cannot exist when jealousy is present. Jealousy says to GOD, “YOU did not put me in the right place or YOU did not make me correctly or even worse YOU made that person better than me, do something about it.” Looking at someone else is the problem. My relationship should only be between me and GOD. In other words I should focus on doing what pleases HIM and let HIM handle the affairs of others.

Satan was jealous of GOD’s position and GOD kicked him out of heaven. When I show jealousy I am reminding GOD of a part of Satan HE despises. Pride stems from jealousy which causes missed opportunities for love, peace and enjoyment. GOD wants me to give my jealousy to HIM.

• Are you jealous of someone?
• Do you see what someone has and feel like you want that?
• Can you take your jealous desires to GOD and ask HIM what HE wants for you?
• Will you look at the benefits of that person instead of what you are jealous over?
• Will you fill your heart with appreciation today?