Any Given Day: 31

Entitlement

We are entitled to basic human rights. Our country was founded on these and our constitution was put in place to protect them. Nowhere, however, does it say that we are entitled to excessive amounts of money or things. The assumption was that people would work hard, and share their wealth with those less fortunate. We would work together as a community to bring about prosperity, while preserving our rights to worship, carry arms, and go about our daily lives in the ways we felt were best for us and our families. We were expected to respect others for their differences. Somewhere we got lost...

Today, a sense of entitlement pervades all pockets of society. The lucky ones brag about how great their life is, how much money they have, or the important people that they know. Their money is spent on pursuing their own interest and they never give until it hurts, just enough to ease any sense of guilt or make them look good. These people seem happy, but it doesn't take long to realize that their relationships are shallow, and God is nowhere to be found in their hearts.

These are the folks who have all the potential in the world to make a difference. Their fancy cars can feed a family of 4 for a year, and their house has more unused rooms than the average apartment. Their worries are wrapped up in the stock market and politics and the daily stress of maintaining all their stuff. They feed off their own sense of entitlement. Their excessive lifestyle is an addiction like any other.

Many of us know, though, that with God at the center of our lives, we get what we need, when we need it. The bible is clear to be thankful for our daily bread and hand back 10 percent of what he bestows on us. Jesus lived a simple life and preached a simple message: love God, and love others as God loves you. The common folk, who struggle to make ends meet, and worry about which bill gets paid, are much closer to God's heart. A prayer for the rich and the poor.

Heavenly Father, You alone decide who is rich and who is poor. Anything anyone has is because You gave it to them. As quickly as it is given, it can be taken away. Help me to know how rich I am in Your love. Remind me that the earthly things don't matter, and guide me on how best to help others who are facing difficult times. Jesus was born poor, lived a simple life, with no material possessions, yet He had the power to change the calendar, and allowed us, through His sacrifice, to know You. Thank you for your blessings today! AMEN

Any Given Day: 30

Selfishness

There are those, who exist to serve their own self interests only. They wander through life meeting their own needs, bumping through life with no real sense of purpose. They pick up hobbies to keep them entertained, buy things with their extra money, spend their extra time in front of a TV or computer. Ironically, these are the folks with the most to give. They use up the valuable resources of this earth, and are charitable only when it makes them look good, or there is a tax deduction at the end of it. They lose patience for people who are tired from hard work, and look down on those who can't keep up. They have trouble relating to others who are hurting. They seem happy, but a closer look reveals shallow relationships, empty hearts, and a nagging sense of dissatisfaction that follows them wherever they go.

At the other extreme, there are those who can give of themselves tirelessly day in and day out. Some even give up everything, including their identity, and their health, to take care of others. They are run down and don't feel appreciated. They ignore their own problems to help others with theirs.

This isn't the way God intended a serving heart to look or feel, however. A servant's heart takes others into consideration while preserving what makes them unique and special. Taking care of themselves so that they may take care of others with energy and enthusiasm.

Striking a balance is difficult somedays but worth it, because anyone who has spent time giving instead of taking, knows that the reward is immediate and long lasting. Making a difference in a small way, can happen each day. Over time, lives change, people grow, and relationships with God and each other deepen. A prayer for those struggling to get past their own needs...

Lord, today may I go out of my way to assist someone who is struggling. Provide me with gentle reminders that the world isn't about me, but about all of us whom you love so deeply. Help me to find ways to use my time and energy in productive and positive ways. May Jesus, the king of all men, be my example of a humble and selfless heart. AMEN

Phillipians 2:5-8

Any Given Day: 29

Direction:

We begin as 2 cells that meet and divide into 4, then 16...

There is a clear path and desired outcome for about 9 months. We breathe oxygen for the first time, we get hungry, someone clothes us. Our life is a miracle, without question. We were put here for a purpose. We have strengths and talents that are designed to be cultivated over time and put to good use. We were created to bring glory to our Father and to serve man.

Along the way we get distracted. Our earthly wants over rule our spiritual needs. We set out to please others and be loved in return. We react with anger and harbor resentment when things don't go according to our plan. We fight against the natural order of things and assume our way is best. The struggle continues for some people until death. They string a trail of broken hearts and lost opportunities behind them like litter thrown from the car window.

We have been told by companies that want to sell us something what we should look like, wear and have. We get sucked into other people's ideas of what happiness is. All the while, God is waiting for us to know him. He wants us to turn to him and ask for directions. "What is your plan for me?" is a reasonable question to ask him. If you are feeling a loss of direction today, here is a prayer to can begin with:

Lord, my path is not clear. I believe you want what is best for me and sometimes in conflicts with my ideas. Please show me what you would have me do with my life. Point me in the direction I should go and light the path one step at a time. Keep my thoughts clear, my heart open, and my dreams within reach. May I do your will with courage and honor and with Jesus as my example. AMEN

Psalm 139:16

Any Given Day: 28

Fear.

There are only 2 basic emotions: Love and Fear

All other emotions are branches that reach out from them. Happiness, joy, pride, graciousness, generosity, gentleness, self control and the like, come from a basic feeling of Love. Love for God, love for one another, and love for one's self.

On the other side, anger, guilt, jealousy, animosity, revenge, self deprecation, accusation, abuse, and similar are the products of fear.

Fear is a survival mechanism that God gave us to keep us alive. It spurs us into a defensive mode and creates a landslide of physical and emotional changes designed to protect us. Fear in and of itself is not a bad thing. How we handle it, however, can be a problem.

The inability to recognize our fear, and acting out, creates the broken relationships we see all around us. Broken relationships with people we love, people we work with, and Jesus himself.

Jesus went through the scariest time any of us will ever face. Was He fearful? Without a doubt. Did he understand what the fear was? Absolutely. Did He act on his fear? No. He took His "punishment" like a man.

Today, take your negative emotions and really look at them. Ask yourself "What am I really afraid of?" Be honest with your answers and pray this prayer:

Lord, I am fearful. My experiences and situations are creating strong negative emotions that are bleeding on to others and my actions are damaging my relationships. It is time for me to take responsibility for my fear and rely on You for my safety and security. Help me, today, God, overcome my fear, so that I may become closer to you. Help me to let go of what I can not control. AMEN

1 John 4:18

Any Given Day: 27

Hope

How many times have we looked upon a situation with no hope? We worry and fret over what might happen as though our thoughts can change the outcome. Lack of hope sucks our energy, depresses our mood, and kills our motivation. "Why try?" we ask.

Hopefulness is the brother of faith. Knowing that God's will is what can and will be done allows us to relax, focus our attention on what we can do in the here and now, and let the chips fall as they may.

We want certain things. We meditate on them to the point of obsession. Hopefulness is an attractive virtue, and it is different from wishful thinking. We can wish for stuff, money, jobs, and for things to go our way. Hope requires a different perspective. Living hopefully means knowing everything we want isn't coming today, but we aren't getting down about it.

Living in the light, we can walk with a hopeful attitude, reminded always, that God has our best interests at heart. If we are living according to His plan, and really taking the time to get to know Him, we someday get to have it all!

For those whose sense of hope is waning:

Precious Father, I fear an uncertain future. Life is not right side up and I need your help. Show me what hope looks like, and remind me of the goodness of people and the greatness of Your Son! Help me to stay focused on Your plan instead of my own, so that I can walk with the assurance that a beautiful future awaits! AMEN

Romans 15:13

Any Given Day: 26

Relationships.

The first 4 commandments discuss what is expected in our relationship with God. The next 6 talk about our relationships with each other. They are simple, straightforward rules for living that we just can't seem to keep straight. Honor God, Honor each other. Period. Nothing else really matters.

Many assume that they need to die in order to "meet their maker". The bible clearly tells us, however, how important our relationship with God is right here and now! He is waiting expectantly for you to turn to him and relinquish control. He knows what is best, He knows what is in your heart, and He sees everything. You can't hide and you don't have to. He loves you and wants to be a part of your daily life.

How? By simply asking with humility and in some cases, complete brokenness. By honoring His Son, and accepting and confessing your sin, you immediately change not only your relationship with your maker, but your relationships with people as well. When you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, family, friends, coworkers, and even perfect strangers will respond differently to you, and you to them. Defenses come down, humility reigns, and the right people become drawn to you.

Relationships with God, and people, take time, energy, and effort. The end result is a life worth living, however. Moses brought down the rules, and although we may not live them to perfection, God still loves us. When we accept Jesus, He resides in us. Everyone benefits and we all have something to gain: a new life, a new perspective, a second chance, and a best friend who will never let us down. A prayer for those who have lost sight of their relationships:

Lord, you are my closest companion. Teach me to rely on you for everything, and turn to you for the important decisions I face. Heal my life, my relationships, my mistakes, and turn my failures into the learning experience you intended them to be. I trust you, God, to show me the way. AMEN

Exodus 20:1-17

Any Given Day: 25

Generosity

An open hand also receives...

The things we have: money, jewelry, precious items, furniture, clothing, homes, cars. Heck we are even proud of our dishes! All of it is stuff and none of it matters. What is interesting is we always think we need more. If we just had this, then we would feel better about that...

In our quest to obtain more things, we forget about those who truly do have less. We hold on to our money tightly, fearing it will disappear. We keep buying stuff and end up storing it in garages and attics. Some of us even need to rent storage units!

God is very clear in many places in the bible that we only need so much. He challenges us to be generous instead of holding on and continually obtaining more. We can all be more generous, with our money, our time, and our resources. A great saying is "when you feel like you don't have enough money or time or stuff, give some away to someone who has less." You will immediately feel blessed!

God's rules for money are as follows: We are required to give 10% of our earnings back to the community. We are required to save 10% and invest it. The rest is ours. 80% is a big chunk. We really don't need all of that either.

The true measure of a person is not in what they have, but in what they give. Jesus gave His life up, inarguably the ultimate gift! Open up your hand and see if you don't receive. For those of you who have a little trouble with that one, here is a prayer:

Lord, you ask us to be generous, but it goes against conventional thought. Bless me as I give of my valuable resources today. Bless the time I spend working with others for their betterment instead of my own. Thank you for your generosity and the blessings you have bestowed upon me. Help me to see the ways you want me to share my gifts with others. Jesus paid the ultimate price. He was a King who wore peasant clothes and relied on the kindness of others for His meals. May He be my example! AMEN

Mark 9:41