What Is The Use of Life?

Maybe you are faced with a loss so great that no words are adequate to express your feelings.  Or perhaps you know of someone who is undergoing such agony.  What help can you be?

"What is the use of life?"
Are deterioration and death the only alternatives?

NO!!!

GOD HAS COME TO OUR HISTORY THROUGH JESUS.
This is a statement that is objectively real.  The death of Jesus on the cross doesn't make sense unless you recognize that He did this to give life beyond this one.  Life without pain or suffering... Taking Jesus seriously involves discipleship which is not an easy solution but it is a powerful one!  IT IS THE ONLY COMPLETE ONE!

SO...
What help can you be to your friend?  Don't underestimate the power of your presence if your heart is illuminated by faith in Christ.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOURSELF?

“I do not know what to do with myself” is a common complaint. You can’t do much with other problems until you deal with this one.

What JESUS did with Himself.  He used His life on earth for a purpose that was greater than the moment.

He kept the Father’s will always in mind.  Remember:  “He who sacrifices his conscience for a selfish ambition burns a beautiful picture to obtain the ashes.”

You can decide to correct some destructive habits:  jealousy, temper, etc.  Not easy, of course, but diligent effort will produce amazing results.

Try doing something that you know God will approve.  “All evil is due to unused life.”  (Erich Fromm) e H

Have you found rest for your soul?

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Jeremiah 6:16

Our lives are determined by the choices that we make at the “crossroads” of life.  So we ought to examine the ideas that we are allowing to use us.  The prophet’s advice is to consider GOD, OUR CREATOR.  By honestly considering His word we can learn what He wants us to do.  Then by a willingness to put His commands into practice we find life that is fulfilling and productive…truly
“rest for our souls.”

Does this sound simple?

In fact, it is…quite simple but not superficial!!

There will never be a better time than the present for each of us to consider the commands and blessings of God.

Did you make a difference today?

In the dark days of World War II, Winston Churchill encouraged and challenged his people:

“There is a place for everyone, man and woman, old and young, hale and halt: SERVICE IN A THOUSAND FORMS IS OPEN. From the highest to the humblest task, all are of equal honor; ALL HAVE THEIR PART TO PLAY.”

These principles apply to each of us today.  You and I can make our part of the world better. Remember:  “Service in a thousand forms is open to each of us.”

So you and I must choose: to make a difference for good or to become a tool for evil to triumph by our simply doing nothing. 

Are these your characteristics of success?

Success depends upon our having eager minds rather than being satisfied with just turning the pages of the calendar.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EAGER MIND

1.      Promptness.  The eager mind is known for enthusiasm.  It is better for the pot to boil over than not to boil at all.

2.      Spirit of inner happiness.  This is found through a personal association with the Christ.  Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”  John 6:63

3.      Generous.  After all, “…for God loves a cheerful giver.”

4.      Steady and Persevering.  God will not examine us for medals but for scars obtained in active service.

Who is the center of your life?

“The trouble with the human race is that no one wins it.”

To win the individual has to choose to become mature or to remain childish.

CHILDISH:

Sheds tears over trifles...performs only if attention is received…takes the blessings of life for granted…no intense sense of obligation.  All of this adds up to being SELF-CENTERED.

MATURITY:

Sheds tears of concern…sympathy is your pain in my heart…fulfills the duties whether there is applause or not…maintains a sense of gratitude…recognizes the beauty of duty.  All of this adds up to be GOD-CENTERED.

GOD CENTERED = VICTORY

Want LIFE to CHANGE for the BETTER?

A famous scientist observed, “It takes an unusual mind to comprehend the obvious.”

It is obvious:

That communities would be better when the citizenry is willing to think about the future, to plan for it, and to work diligently for productive goals.

It is obvious:

When you and I look into a mirror, each sees one person who can contribute to whatever changes are needed.

Comprehension of the obvious:

I must be willing to become the CHANGE that I want to see.   

How are you shaping your tomorrow?

In a world that is always seeking to put you down, start each day with a conversation with GOD.  He believes in you.

Choose to make this a productive day.  Not always easy but possible.  God will help if you allow Him to do so.

Practice the art of cheerfully greeting people.  A smile is a gentle curve that sets lots of things right.

Compliment someone close to you.  Do not take for granted the good that is about you.

Remember what you practice today…either good or bad…will be vital in shaping YOUR TOMORROW.

OBSERVATIONS FOR EVERYDAY LIVING

There are two types of people in the world…those who are WISE and those who are OTHERWISE.  You and I choose our category.

The Wise don’t learn the tricks of their trade…THEY learn their trade.

Seldom is too much paid for a TOP PERFORMANCE.  However, a mediocre job is always too expensive.

A TOP PERFORMANCE makes for a good day.  A mediocre one for NIGHTMARES.

JESUS was a carpenter-craftsman.  I cannot imagine His doing a mediocre work.

Are you available?

God never asks about our ABILITY or our INABILITY…just our AVAILABILITY.

“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then said I, ‘Here am I; send me.’”

OBSERVATIONS:

From Ripley’s BELIEVE it or not…a picture of a plain bar of iron…value $5. 

It can be fashioned: 

A pair of horseshoes -- $50

Sewing needles -- $5,000

As balance springs for fine Swiss watches -- $500,000!

The material is not what is most important.  The development of the material IS!

So it is with each of us…the choice is to be AVAILABLE for God to develop us as He knows best.  

We have hope...

“The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14

This statement of historical fact gives us hope for the future regardless of the problems of the day.

The “Word” in this reading is the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  He came into our world in the flesh to be one of us.  He came to pioneer the way to life for us in this world and in the one to come.

THEREFORE:

He understands us…He cares for us…He will help us…He paid the price for our sins that we might know forgiveness…He has made eternal victory possible for us. 

Do you send for Him?

A sign in a cotton factory:

IF YOUR THREADS GET TANGLED, SEND FOR THE FOREMAN!

A new worker got her threads tangled. The more she tried to disentangle them, the worse the situation grew.  Finally, she sent for the foreman.  He asked, “Why didn't you send for me earlier?”  She replied, “I was doing my best.”  He answered, “No, your best would have been to send for me.”

When we face a tough situation, our first response should be to ask for God’s direction and help.  He longs to be our helper and to be fully involved in our lives. The coming of Jesus into our history is full proof of that.

THEREFORE:

Let us bring our troubles to God:  He will be up all night anyway.  “He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.” Psalm 121:3 

DAYS OF TEARS AND SMILES

“A little girl was eating her breakfast when a ray of sunlight suddenly appeared through the clouds and reflected on the spoon in her cereal bowl.  She immediately put it into her mouth.   With a big smile she exclaimed to her mother, ‘I just swallowed a spoonful of sunshine.’”

A spoonful of sunshine is excellent ‘soul food’ for all of us.

And on those days when laughter is not possible…let us remember that God knows our sadness…God cares for our tears…God will compensate.  The coming of Christ is our assurance!

How did you use your time today?

GOD never requires us to do something without giving us time to do it.

Therefore PARENTS have years to teach and to inspire their children. (These years pass quickly so they must be used wisely.)

STUDENTS have several years to acquire knowledge for a productive future.  (These are fleeting years that must not be wasted.)

WE have THIS DAY to obey GOD.  (Tomorrow is uncertain!!!)

Each must ask, “Am I using the time that God has given to me…as He would have me to use it?”

CONSIDER...

CONSIDER:

For the future to hold something for you, you must have some faith in it.

Preparation for the future involves your willingness to remember your blessings with a spirit of gratitude.

The future is dim for the person who thinks with fears rather than the recognition that great strength comes from the realization of being “created in the image of God.”

Let the future be illuminated with this enduring key of the Holy Spirit: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8

TRYING TIMES ARE NOT TIMES TO STOP TRYING

A cynic stated, “Perhaps instead of resting on the seventh day, God should have erased.

You and I must remember:

TRYING TIMES ARE NOT TIMES TO STOP TRYING

The power of prayer remains regardless.  Let us pray for the leaders of nations…for others…for ourselves.

God can work through YOU.  Do not underestimate what He can accomplish through YOU.  A handful of God fearing people could have saved the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Appreciate the privileges of today: speaking encouraging words…helping another…smiling…counting your blessings.

“The world is a looking glass and gives back to each person a reflection of his/her attitude.”

What are you complaining about today?

IF I AM ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WAY THE BALL BOUNCES…I just might be the guy who dropped it.

IF I AM CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING THAT THINGS “ AREN'T THE WAY THAT THEY USED TO BE”…I should realize that neither and I!

Some insist on complaining because God put thorns on roses, while other praise Him for putting roses on thorns.

The habit of being a constant complainer is dangerous.  It can weaken your immune system and invite physical illness.  It diminishes your influence upon those who love you the most. So both of us need to determine that with God’s help we are going to defeat the temptation to be chronic complainers.

NOTE:  There are “legitimate complaints” because of the sorrows of life.  Let us help each other in working through these. 

A friend is one who sings our song when we have forgotten the words.

How often do you read the Bible?

Our forefathers built this nation with three tools:

AN AX, A PLOW AND A BOOK.

That book was the BIBLE.  Thomas Jefferson stated, “I have always said and always will say that the studious perusal of the
Sacred Volume, the Bible, will make better citizens…better fathers, better husbands…the Bible makes the best people in the world.”

In the Bible we find ourselves where we are, and if permitted, it takes us where we ought to go.  We may not be able to understand all that we read in the Bible but we can attempt to obey what we do understand.

An occasional taste of the Bible will not cause us to develop much of a taste for it.  Pertinent are these words of General Douglas MacArthur, “Believe me, sir, never a day goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the word of God before I go to bed.”

What have you given today?

Thoughts from Albert Schweitzer:

“I do not know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”

Jesus taught, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  He was not minimizing the joy that comes from receiving a gift.  He was deeply grateful for the gift of expensive ointment what was generously given to Him; so grateful that an eternal blessing was bestowed upon the “Giver.” 

Two blessings come from giving:

1.      The Giver’s heart enjoys a sensitivity that comes from closeness TO THE SAVIOR.

2.      The Giver’s head is enlightened with the sense of accomplishment THAT THE SAVIOR APPROVES.

                        The attitude of giving enables a person to do more than just earn a living…it directs to make truly a life as well. 

Do you really treat others as you wish to be treated?

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  So familiar are these words of Jesus…so intensely practical for your well being.

When you help someone up a hill, you’re that much nearer to the top yourself.

The best exercise for strengthening your spiritual heart is to kneel to help another stand.

Not only do you help that person but also you do wonders for your personality and your self-image.  In other words, you make it easier to live with yourself.

Since Jesus understands each of us completely, it is an act of wisdom to pay attention to His teachings!